Aug 16, 2021 Arts Commission

UH, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY COME TO A SOLUTION THAT WILL REALLY HELP OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, NEXT WE HAVE SYLVIA, UH, ROSA.

HELLO? I SYLVIA.

SO ARE YOU READY? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.

HI, UH, ARTS COMMISSIONERS.

I'M SYLVIA ROSCOE FROM MEXICO.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND YOUR SUPPORT.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED FUNDING GUIDELINES.

IT IS, IT HAS BEEN A COBBLED APPROACH.

IT IS A HIT AND MISS APPROACH WITH NO DATA, NO CONSIDERATION TO HISTORY, NOT REALLY NURTURING OUR ARTS ECOSYSTEM, NO VOTES FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION, ALL WITH THE INTENTION TO HELP BIPAP ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH WILL HARM US ALL MORE THAN HELP.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE THRIVE, THE THRIVE PROGRAM.

THE THRIVE PROGRAM NOW HAS TURNED TO A TWO YEAR PROGRAM FOR 2 25 TO 45 CONTRACTS BEFORE IT WAS 10.

AND NOW THE REQUEST IS ONLY YOU CAN GET ONLY UP TO 80,000 LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO.

IT WAS 175,000.

UH, THIS WILL TAKE MEXICO TO THE BACK TO THE LEVELS OF THE 1990S.

THESE ARE SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY.

THERE ARE NOT GRANTS SO THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE REDUCED, REDUCED TO REFLECT THE LEVEL OF FUNDING.

MAJOR, MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE HAD PROVED THE PRIVILEGE TO APPLY AND RECEIVE UP TO $250,000.

SINCE THE 1980S, IT IS NOT FAIR, EQUITABLE.

WHEN NOW THERE'S A PROGRAM TO HELP THE BIPAP BIPAP ORGANIZATIONS, THAT THERE WILL BE A LIMIT OF $80,000 FOR SERVICES AT THIS RATE, EQUITY WILL NEVER BE ACHIEVED SINCE NON BIPAP ORGANIZATIONS HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND PRIVILEGE TO RECEIVE THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING FOR OVER 40 YEARS.

EVEN IF, EVEN THOUGH AN ORGANIZATION COULD APPLY THE BUDGET LIMITS IN THE PAST PREVENTED ORGANIZATIONS OF COLOR TO APPLY IN THAT CATEGORY, WE MUST CREATE OR, UH, LEVELS OF, UH, FUNDING FOR LEGACY ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, BIPAP, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT END RECEIVE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE OTHERS HAVE HAD IN THE PAST MANY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE MEXICO, LA PENA, ROYAL OSANO THE SALARY PRINT PROJECT, DIVERSE ARTS, A PUERTO RICAN ARTS GROUPS, AND OTHERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP TO THE FURTHEST OF CAPACITY BECAUSE OF LACK OF FUNDING AND RESTRICTED CATEGORIES.

THERE ARE OTHER PROBLEMS. UH, THE CULTURAL STAFF NOW IS PROPOSING TO PRIVATIZE THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CULTURAL ARTS CONTRACTS WITH 10% OF THE BED TAX.

IN THIS CASE, 300,000 OR 10% OF THE, OF THE, UH, $3 MILLION TAKING MONEY AWAY FROM THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO NEED THIS AT A DIFFICULT TIME.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE CULTURAL STAFF CONTINUES TO ADD STAFFING.

THE STAFFING.

THE STAFF IS PROPOSING TO PAY $300,000.

SO AN ARTS ORGANIZATION TO RUN AN ARTS PROGRAM WHILE THEY ONLY WANT TO FUND THE ORGANIZATIONS OF COLOR TO 80,000, THE ARTS COMMISSION ALSO MUST HAVE A VOTE.

THE ARTS COMMISSION HAS NOT REVIEWED THE GUIDELINES.

THEY WERE NOT EVEN PRESENTED WITH THE GUIDELINES BEFORE THEY WERE MADE PUBLIC.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE IN STAGE FIVE AND ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE.

THIS IS NOT A TIME TO IMPLEMENT A PROPOSED FUNDING GUIDELINES WITHOUT CORE FUNDING FOR ORGANIZATIONS OF COLOR AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, NON BIPAP THAT ARE NON MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE HAS SERVED THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 25 TO 30 YEARS, WHICH WILL, WHICH WILL CAUSE MUCH DEVASTATION.

COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN REALLY DIFFICULT DURING THIS TIME.

AND THE PROPOSED FUNDING GUIDELINES HAVE MANY PROBLEMS AND HAD NOT BEEN FULLY STUDIED TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT.

WE MUST WORK TOGETHER.

WE MUST HAVE FACE TO FACE DIALOGUE,

[00:10:02]

I HAVE DEDICATED ALMOST 40 YEARS TO SERVING AUSTIN THROUGH THE ARTS AND I WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

WE MUST WORK TOGETHER THE ARTS COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY WITH THE HELP OF STAFF, BUT NOT LED BY STAFF.

AND WE NEED TO HAVE AN OPINION.

WE NEED TO HAVE A BOAT.

WE NEED TO HAVE A SAY IN WHAT IS GOING TO AFFECT OUR ENTIRE, UH, ARTS ECOSYSTEM.

THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR OUR JUNE, JULY 22ND, STARTED 21ST MEETING.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

THAT IS THE END OF OUR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION FOR THIS EVENING.

WE ARE MOVING ON TO

[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

UM, IS THAT A MOTION COMMISSIONER CASTILLO MOTION TO APPROVE.

SECOND BY COMMISSIONER FLORES.

ANY DISCUSSION, ONE FAVOR, KIMBERLY KEATON.

I'M IN FAVOR.

BRETT, CAN YOU HEAR US? I'LL TAKE THAT AS ANY, ANY ABSTENTIONS.

I'LL TAKE THAT AS A PASS WITH COMMISSIONER BARNES OFF THE DIOCESE.

THIS CONVERSATION WILL CONTINUE.

MOVING ON.

WE ARE ON

[2.a. Check in, reminders, and thanks]

TWO CHAIRS REPORT.

HI EVERYBODY.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

UM, I WANT TO START TONIGHT BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE, THE UNIVERSE THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.

UM, DELTA, THE DELTA VARIANT IS A MONSTER AND THE STRESS LEVELS OF HIGH AND THINGS IN THE WORLD ARE ALSO REALLY, REALLY STRESSFUL.

SO I WOULD HOPE TO BEGIN WITH IT.

EVERYONE JUST TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL HERE WORKING TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ALL REALLY CARE ABOUT.

AND, UM, PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES AND TAKE CARE OF ONE OTHER PERSON TODAY.

UM, TO START WITH THAT, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS TO COVER TONIGHT, INCLUDING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FUNDING AND CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.

I DO WANT TO SAY UP FRONT AND WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE EVENING, BUT THE CULTURAL FUNDING AND REVIEW PROCESS IS A PROCESS.

NOTHING HAS BEEN DECIDED.

THIS IS A PORTION OF THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK WINDOW.

WE ARE ALSO PART OF THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.

SO ALL OF THE NOTES THAT YOU ARE GIVING US, WE ARE HEARING AND SHARING WITH STAFF AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE GATHERING THAT INFORMATION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE COME AND TALKED TO US.

THANK YOU FOR THE EMAILS.

THANK YOU FOR THE PHONE CALLS.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE FOLKS.

WHO'VE COME OUT TO SOME COMMUNITY CHATS WITH COMMISSIONER ZISMAN AND I AND COMMISSIONER PUREE.

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THAT.

AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO FOR PARTICIPATING IN THOSE AND THANK YOU TO BIG, A MEDIUM FOR HOSTING THOSE.

UM, OUR CONVERSATIONS WILL CONTINUE WITH THE COMMUNITY.

WE ARE OPEN, WE ARE AVAILABLE.

SO AGAIN, THERE, THERE NOTHING HAS BEEN DECIDED.

PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND MOVING FORWARD.

SO WITH THAT, UM, IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE.

I'M GOING TO HAND THIS OVER TO COMMISSIONER ZISMAN WHO HAS SOMETHING TO SHARE? HI EVERYONE.

I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPRESS SOME GRATITUDE ON BEHALF OF TRIPLE BAR AND MYSELF, UM, TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.

UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING DEDICATION AND FOR THE TIME AND ENERGY THAT THIS COMMITMENT DEMANDS, WE ARE STANDING TOGETHER AND OUR DEDICATION AS CONDUITS AND COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION.

UH, THE CONNECTIONS WE NURTURE AND FORGE BETWEEN ALL THE FACETS OF OUR CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM ARE AN INVESTMENT IN THE LONGTERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ARTS IN AUSTIN.

THESE SEEDS WE SOW WILL CULTIVATE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF EMPOWERED ARTISTS, PERFORMERS, WRITERS, DIRECTORS, ARTS, ADMIN, VENUE, OWNERS, PATRONS, AND LEADERS.

WE APPRECIATE YOU.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU AND YOU ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, NOT JUST TODAY AT THIS MEETING, BUT FOR THE UNWAVERING DEVOTION YOU HAVE TO, FOR YOUR CRAFT AND FOR SHARING IT WITH THE WORLD, WE ALL BENEFIT FROM THE WORK THAT YOU DO.

AND FROM THE WISDOM THAT YOU SHARE, NEVER STOP TO PERSIST.

IT'S TO PREVAIL THE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES OF OPEN AND HONEST COMMUNICATION.

I LIMIT LISTS, AND WE HONOR HOW VALUABLE YOUR TIME IS.

WE APPRECIATE YOU.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU.

YOU ARE ESSENTIAL TO EVERYONE WITH US TODAY, BOTH IN PERSON AND THROUGH A SCREEN.

IF YOU'RE HERE, YOU CARE, THANK YOU.

WE APPRECIATE YOU.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU AND YOU ARE ESSENTIAL.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME.

GOING TO MOVE ON AT THIS POINT TO OUR ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES, LIAISON REPORT, COMMISSIONER BARNS, HOPEFULLY Y'ALL CAN HEAR ME.

YEAH, I KNOW THIS WEEK HAS BEEN A HEAVY LIFT AND I KNOW THAT IT'S ALWAYS A HEAVY LIFT AND I KNOW HOW YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS ARE ENGAGED IN THIS.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK HERE, OUTSIDE IN THE COMMUNITY.

[00:15:01]

[2.b. Art in Public Places liaison report]

AND, UM, IT'S ALL WORKING, SO I'LL SPEAK VERY QUICKLY.

UM, SO THANK YOU ALL.

AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO CAME, UM, TO SPEAK AS WELL.

UM, I, I KNOW I'M HERE TO DO THE AIPP AND I JUST, THE ONLY THING I WANT TO ADD IS I HOPE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT WE'RE COMING FROM A PLACE OF BEST INTENTION AND THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS IMMEDIATE.

SO WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

BUT IF WE ALL ARE ASSUMING THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE BEST INTENTIONS FOR OTHERS AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR THE ARTS, I THINK THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY.

WE'RE NOT HERE TO MAKE THINGS HARDER FOR YOU.

WE'RE NOT HERE TO MAKE THINGS ADVERSARIAL.

WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT THIS INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY THAT HAS SO MUCH PASSION.

AND, UM, I'M JUST PROUD TO, TO GET, TO BE A VOICE, TO HOPEFULLY LIFT THAT UP FOR OTHERS TO HEAR WITH THAT AIPP IS WORKING VERY HARD.

AND AGAIN, YOU ALL DEMONSTRATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO THAT.

I WANT TO SEND A HUGE, UM, VOTE OF THANKS TO, UM, COMMISSIONER GREY AND COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER KEATON FOR ATTENDING THE LAST MEETING.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU JUST WANT TO GIVE A SENTENCE OR TWO, I KNOW TIME IS VERY FAST, BUT ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN JUST, UM, WATCHING WHAT WAS GOING ON, I THINK WOULD HELP.

SURE.

I'LL BE HAPPY TO ADD TO THAT.

UM, BEING THERE WAS REMARKABLE, IT WAS WONDERFUL.

JUST BEING ABLE TO, UH, TO WITNESS THE INTERACTION AND THE DECISIONS OF SAFETY AND THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF, OF THE ARTWORK AND INCREDIBLE ARTWORK COME IN.

AND I PLAN ON BEING IN MORE OF THOSE, IF POSSIBLE, THAN THE OTHER ONE THAT I'M ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR.

SO I THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UH, FOR MYSELF, I'M A TALKER.

SO, UH, I LIKE TO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I DID, HE GOT A TURN, UM, BUT IT'S ALL GOOD.

UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT IT WAS A VERY ENLIGHTENING EXPERIENCE TO SEE WHAT ACTUALLY TAKES PLACE FOR HOURS.

I MEAN, FOR HOURS, I WAS JUST LIKE, WOW.

AND I STAYED THE WHOLE TIME.

UM, SO JUST BEING A PART OF THAT, THAT MOMENT AND JUST, YOU KNOW, BEING HAPPY FOR THE ARTISTS THAT WERE CHOSEN, UM, AND, AND ACTUALLY GETTING TO HEAR THEM SPEAK.

UM, I'M GRATEFUL THAT I WAS INVITED AND THANK YOU BARNS FOR INVITING ME AND I LIKED YOUR BLUE GLASSES TOO.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAIR.

UM, UH, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US SHOULD EVER APOLOGIZE FOR SPEAKING OUT.

AND IF, UM, AGAIN, THE, THE AGENDAS ARE FULL LIKE OURS.

AND I THINK THOUGH, IF SOMETHING IS BURNING AND YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING, PLEASE ALWAYS FEEL EMPOWERED TO DO SO.

IT IS VERY FUNNY.

I GAVE BOTH COMMISSIONER KEATON AND GRAY AN OUT AFTER A SORT OF A PERIOD OF TIME.

I JUST SAID, IF YOU ALL NEED TO GO, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE AND BOTH STAY TO THE BITTER END OF THAT VERY LONG MEETING.

UM, SO I WAS JUST ECSTATIC TO HAVE, UM, COMRADES IN ARMS THERE.

AND AGAIN, JUST FOR THEM TO GET TO SEE THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT AIPP DOES ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR ARTISTS AND THE ARTS COMMISSION.

SO, UM, I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT PROJECTS AND I WILL BE AT THE TIME I'M PROPOSING THAT WE PASS THOSE ON CONSENT, BUT, UM, THERE ARE SOME WONDERFUL PROJECTS THAT THERE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD.

SO JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP TO ATTEND A MEETING, PLEASE DO SO.

NEXT UP BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LIAISONS REPORT.

UH, KIMBERLY, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING FROM THE DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN COMMISSION GO? NO.

UH, OH, SO I JUST NEED TO SAY THIS TO EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.

IF YOU'RE WATCHING.

I, UM, AT THE TIME THAT THAT MEETING WAS HAPPENING, I WAS RESIGNING FROM MY POSITION AS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY ARCHIVIST AND LIBRARIAN AT THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER, AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'M STILL HERE FOR YOU AS YOUR I'M HISTORIAN, AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORIAN LIBRARIAN.

SO IF YOU NEED ME, I'M STILL HERE.

I AM THE ARTS COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT ONE.

PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME.

UM, I WILL HAVE THAT REPORT FOR NEXT MONTH, BUT I AM READY FOR WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU CALL ON ME FOR THIS NEXT MOMENT.

UH, CITY HALL, CAN WE UNMUTE CARL SETTLES SO HE CAN COME AND TALK TO US ABOUT THE AEDC PRETTY PLEASED.

[00:20:07]

GOOD TO SEE YOU AS WELL.

UH, AEDC UM, NOT A WHOLE BUNCH REALLY HAS HAPPENED SINCE WE LAST CHECKED IN.

UM, MICHELLE, I DID SHARE AN EMAIL WITH YOU REGARDING THE, UH, CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

UM, IF FOLKS WANT TO APPLY, THEY CAN, UH, YOU CAN SHARE THAT LINK WITH THEM.

THERE'S ALSO AN EMAIL THREAD GOES WITH THAT.

SO THAT GIVES A LOT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION.

UM, IT REALLY DOESN'T LOOK AS THOUGH THAT RFP IS GOING TO, IT MAY NOT MAYBE SEPTEMBER BEFORE THAT RFP, UH, GETS ISSUED, UH, REGARDING, UM, THE, THE CULTURAL TRUST.

UM, AND THEY, THEY SAY ALSO THAT, UH, WHAT THEY'RE GONNA OFFER IN ADDITION TO THAT IS, UM, CAPACITY BUILDING TYPES OF SERVICES AS WELL FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY WANT TO GO AFTER, UH, THOSE FUNDS.

UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISCUSSION.

I KNOW THAT THE, THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND SOME OTHER FOLKS HAD SUBMITTED A PAPER ABOUT THE AEDC, UH, IN THE HOT TAX, UM, AND TRYING TO PLAY SOME TYPE OF ROLE IN TERMS OF OPENING UP, UH, ANOTHER, UH, AN ALTERNATE FUNDING SOURCES FOR MUSIC IN AUSTIN.

UM, AND I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE.

UM, AND IN TERMS OF THE PRIORITIES OF THE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED WITH THIS PROCESS.

WE'RE TRYING TO FIND, UH, A CEO, UM, AT THIS POINT.

AND I WOULD SAY, I THINK THERE'S SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP YOU ALL RAISE MONEY, BUT NOT ADMINISTER IT.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND SO, AND I GUESS I'M OFFERING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, UM, LATER, RIGHT.

AND TO BRAINSTORM ABOUT HOW WE COULD STRUCTURE DOING SOME ASKS.

SO I KNOW PEOPLE ARE HURTING, RIGHT.

UM, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AND PROCESSES IN ALL OF THOSE THINGS ANYTIME SOON.

UM, AND SO IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN HELP YOU ALL GET ACCESS TO SOME MONEY AND YOU ALL WERE ABOUT THE CONVEYANCE THEREOF, UH, THAT WOULD BE A CLEANER WAY, I THINK, TO GET SOME MORE IMMEDIATE RELIEF, UH, TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY.

AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT ALL I HAVE.

MR. LEWIS, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR MR. SADDLES? I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. SHUTTLES, BUT I DID WANT TO PROVIDE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AS, AS A REMINDER FOR EVERYBODY.

UM, CARL OR MR. SETTLES DID MENTION THAT, THAT THE AEDC IS LOOKING AT IS INITIATING A SEARCH FOR THE CDO OF THE AEDC.

UM, I WAS INVITED TO BE A STAKEHOLDER TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, UH, IDEAS OF, OF, OF, OF WHAT SKILL SET THIS PERSON WOULD NEED.

UM, SO I ALSO ATTENDED THEIR MEETING LAST WEEK AND THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY ARE ONBOARDING THE CHIEF TRANSACTIONS OFFICER.

AND THE REMINDER THAT I WANTED TO GIVE COMMISSIONERS WAS THAT, UM, CHIEF RECOVERY FORGETTING HER ACTUAL TITLE, CHIEF RECOVERY OFFICER VERONICA DANIEL IS THE ONE, UH, IN THE INTERIM ACTING AS THE CEO.

SO, AND, AND THERE'S OTHER EDD STAFF THAT ARE ACTING IN INTERIM ROLES FOR THE AEDC UNTIL STAFF IS HIRED FOR THEM.

SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE OF THAT STAFFING SITUATION.

PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME MAY NOT KNOW.

HI MAN.

UM, AND I WILL SAY THAT MUSIC AND ARTS HAVE, UH, PUT TOGETHER A JOINT WORKING GROUP TO LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES.

AND IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE, WE NEED TO CONNECT YOU WITH THAT GROUP TO TALK ABOUT SOME STRATEGIES FOR HOW WE MIGHT, UM, MIGHT, MIGHT LEVERAGE SOME FUNDING, WHICH MAY SMALL BLOCK.

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD IN THERE OR WORKING GROUP IS SCHEDULED TO MEET ON SATURDAY AND YES, ABSOLUTELY.

I WROTE IT DOWN AS LET'S FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

UM, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS ARE CONNECTED AND THEN THE CARL, BECAUSE

[00:25:01]

UM, I MEAN, AEDC IS THE, UM, AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPS, UM, CORPORATION AND THE CULTURAL TRUST IS, UH, A SUB BODY OF THAT.

BUT WHERE MIGHT SOMEONE WHO'S JUST OUT IN THE WORLD GO TO FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THOSE TWO ENTITIES? UM, YOU CAN GO TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE, JUST LIKE YOU GO THERE FOR THE ARTS COMMISSION, THE MUSIC COMMISSION INFO.

UH, IF YOU DO A SEARCH, UM, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND THE, THE REASON IT WAS FORMED AND, UM, AGENDA BOARD, BOARD AGENDAS AND MEETING MINUTES AND ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

UM, SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST PLACE TO GO FLORES.

HI, THANK YOU, CARL FOR THE REPORT.

AND, UH, I'M ACTUALLY INTRIGUED, I'M ALSO ON THE COMMITTEE WITH HEIDI, UH, FOR ALTERNATE FUNDING SOURCES.

AND, UH, I'M INTRIGUED BY THAT.

I, I JUST MAYBE MISTAKENLY ASSUMED THAT THE CULTURAL TRESS WAS RAISING MONEY FOR, UH, VENUES AND OTHER, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, BUYING PROPERTY OR, YOU KNOW, UH, LAND DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, THIS, TO GET IT TO, TO HELP WE COULD, UM, FIND VENUES FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO RAISE FUNDS THAT YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO DO THAT, THEN, UM, I'M ALL EARS.

SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPLORING THAT BECAUSE I MAY HAVE HAD, IT'S BEEN SO LONG THAT I MAY JUST HAVE A WRONG IMPRESSION OF WHAT THE TRUST IS ACTUALLY AVAILABLE FOR.

SO THANK YOU FOR SURE.

WELL, THE TRUST IS A SUBSET OF THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

UM, SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PRIORITIES, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT WE CAN CARRY OUT, BUT THIS QUASI FOR-PROFIT NONPROFIT ENTITY ALLOWS US MORE FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO REALLY LEVERAGE PUBLIC LAND AND RAISE FUNDS.

SO WE CAN JUST TAKE STRAIGHT UP.

SO LET'S SAY WE HAD SEVERAL CORPORATIONS THAT WANTED TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE ARTS.

THEY COULD MAKE IT TO THE AEDC AND WE COULD CONCEIVABLY, I MEAN, WE'RE SPEAKING, JUST, YOU KNOW, SPIT BALLING HERE.

WE COULD CONCEIVABLY SAY, OKAY, TAKE THAT, UH, ARTS AND OR MUSIC COMMISSION, AND YOU ALL DECIDE TO DO, OF COURSE THE, WE, AS WE, AS THE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD HAVE TO AGREE UPON THAT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO GET THOSE TYPES OF RESOURCES TO YOU ALL.

SO IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A MATTER OF THE RIGHT PEOPLE MAKING THE RIGHT ASS TO THE RIGHT OTHER PEOPLE, RIGHT.

UM, THEN I THINK WE COULD GET SOME WINS, UM, EARLY, RATHER THAN JUST CONTINUING TO PLAY THE WAITING GAME.

CITY HALL.

CAN YOU MOVE OVER A SYNOVIA HOLT ROUND TO POP INTO THIS CONVERSATION REAL QUICK AND COMMISSIONER VERMONT WHILE THAT'S HAPPENING? YOU WANT TO ASK YOUR QUESTION? YES.

UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY, MR. SADDLE? UM, I, I WATCHED A VIDEO, UM, ON THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, UM, CONTROL PROGRAMS AND FUNDING AND ALL THAT.

AND I THINK IS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER.

UM, I FORGOT WHICH ONE WAS IT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, WE REALLY NEED TO FIND EXTRA FUNDING, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY.

SO A QUESTION FOR YOU IS WE GO TO, YOU KNOW, I REALLY THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN'S CHARACTER, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ACL HERE, WE AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST HERE.

SO I THINK THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE THE CHARACTER OF OUR CITY.

SO IF WE ARE GOING TO GO TO THE PRIVATE SETTING, YOU KNOW, AND TO ASK THEM TO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, TH TH THE CHARACTER OF THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, UM, DONATIONS SPECIFICALLY OF ALL FOR PROGRAMMING IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT THIS IS LIKE A PRIVATE, PRIVATE PUBLIC ENTITY.

SO WILL THE DONATION BE, UH,

[00:30:02]

TEXTS EXAM? YES.

UH, THEY, I MEAN, IF THEY'RE NOT, WELL, YOU KNOW, EVEN WHEN YOU'RE DONATING TO TAX EXEMPT, IF YOU'RE GETTING SERVICES AND, OR SOME TYPE OF PRODUCT, YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, BUT YES, THEY COULD MAKE IT.

THEY COULD SAY THEY WANTED TO GIVE THE ADC $5 MILLION FOR THE ARTS COMMISSION.

THEY COULD DO THAT.

UM, AND THAT COULD BE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION.

I WOULD SAY THIS, AND THIS IS PART OF THE, UH, ASK THE REASON PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO AUSTIN IS BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A COOL PLACE.

AND I THINK THAT WE DON'T DO OURSELVES A SERVICE.

WE, WE BASICALLY THE, THE IDEA THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THESE CORPORATIONS AND SAY, YOU ALL ARE MAKING AUSTIN NOT COOL ANYMORE.

AND IF YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP, UM, MAINTAIN THAT, UH, THAT TAKES SOME INVESTMENT.

AND I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO BE ABLE TO, UM, SHINE A LIGHT PRO APPROPRIATE LIGHT ON, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE A RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

AND I THINK, I THINK THERE'S MORE THAN ENOUGH MONEY IN THIS CITY.

IT'S JUST THAT, IT'S JUST HOW TO, HOW DO WE TALK ABOUT IT, UH, WITH, WITH THESE STAKEHOLDERS? UH, SO THEY REALLY SEE, UH, START TO UNDERSTAND AND SEE THE VALUE, UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT FROM AUSTIN, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT, UH, THE CULTURAL, THE CULTURAL SCENE, UH, IF YOU WILL.

AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT FIGURING OUT WAYS WE CAN ENGAGE THEM, UM, AND REALLY HAVE THEM FEEL GOOD ABOUT, UH, SUPPORTING THE ARTS AND MUSIC IN GENERAL, UH, ACROSS THE CITY.

UM, SO I HAVE SOME NEOVIA POPPING IN AND THEN BRETT, AND THEN KIMBERLY.

IS THAT OKAY, AMY? DID I CUT YOU OFF? I'M SORRY.

DID I CUT YOU OFF? OKAY, MICHELLE, YOU CAN GO AHEAD TO THE OTHER COMMITTEE COMMISSIONERS.

I JUST WANT TO, UM, CLARIFY THAT THE AEDC DOES HAVE AN ILA WITH THE CITY THAT CURRENTLY HAS THREE POINT OR TEAS.

UM, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HARMON STAFF, AND I WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE THE JOINT COMMITTEE WORKING GROUP.

THAT'S WORKING ON OUTSIDE POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCES TO CONTINUE, BUT, UM, ALSO THE CITY CAN ALSO ACCEPT DONATIONS.

THERE ARE TRUST AND AGENCY ACCOUNTS ALREADY SET UP ACROSS THE CITY.

SO I DON'T WANT, UH, VIEWERS TO THINK THAT THE CITY CAN'T, UM, BUT DEFINITELY THE AEDC WAS FORMED TO BE MORE NIMBLE, BUT THEY HAVE A BIG LIFTS BEFORE THEM.

AND, UM, THINGS ARE, KEEP GETTING ADDED AND ADDED.

AND SO WE NEED TO STAND UP THE CORPORATION, GET ALL THE STAFF HIRED SO WE CAN HAVE INDIVIDUALS THERE, UM, MAKING TRANSACTIONS, EARNING REVENUE, UH, BECAUSE THERE IS A TIGHT WINDOW OF, UH, TRANSFER FROM THE CITY TO STAND UP THE CORPORATION.

SO I DIDN'T WANT TO DISCOUNT ANYTHING.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BARNS.

EVENTUALLY, UM, FUNDRAISING, BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THE CULTURAL TRUST, A $12 MILLION CREATIVE SPACE BOND, AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL.

UM, I JUST TWO QUICK POINTS, CAUSE I KNOW THAT WE'RE ON TIME OR WE HAVE TIME LIMITATIONS, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, LIKE, WHEN WE SAY THEY'RE NOT GIVING MONEY TO THE ARTS COMMISSION, THEY WENT, THEY WOULD PAY MONEY TO THIS CULTURAL TRUST AND THEY COULD DIRECT, I'M ASSUMING THEIR FUNDS TO CREATIVE INDUSTRIES, BUT THE ARTS COMMISSION IS NOT GETTING ANY OF THESE FUNDS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING VERY TRANSPARENT HERE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, UM, COMING, WE'RE NOT GOING OUT THERE AND TRYING TO GET MONEY THAT WAY.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND AGAIN, FUNDRAISING IS MY PROFESSION IS THAT WE'RE NOT ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE INDIVIDUAL ARTS GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS RELY ON BOTH, UM, CORPORATE SUPPORT AND, UM, INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT FROM MANY OF THESE BUSINESSES.

SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, AND NOT THE, OR LIKE, WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL STILL SUPPORT THE PASSION IF IT'S, UM, TAP OR IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, EXPERIMENTAL CHORAL MUSIC OR IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, 2D YARD OR WHATEVER.

AND WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER A BIGGER INVESTMENT IN THIS CULTURAL TRUST SO THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING MONEY OUT OF THE POCKETS OF ARTS GROUPS BY SOLICITING MAYBE THE SAME ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY'RE GOING AFTER.

SO, UM, AND I'M ALL ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP WITH ANY SORT OF FUNDRAISING

[00:35:01]

THAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO.

SO A, UM, AND COMMISSIONER BARNES, UH, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD PROBABLY TALK, UH, AS WELL.

UM, BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S SOME FOLKS THAT NOBODY'S GOING AFTER, I GUESS, IS WHAT I'M SAYING, AND THEY JUST OPERATE, THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES THERE.

UM, AND YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR EXPERTISE NOW, I THINK WE CAN, CAN CRAFT A GREAT, UM, GREAT ASK, RIGHT? YEAH.

GREAT CASE STATEMENT.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

MOVING ON TO SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS AND COMMISSIONERS THIS MOMENT, YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE THIS INTRODUCTION.

COMMISSIONER KEATON.

UM, CARL, AND TO OUR CHAIR, I'M SITTING HERE THINKING ABOUT, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THE ARTS COMMISSION TO SPONSOR SOME TYPE OF ART CONFERENCE FROM A VIRTUAL PERSPECTIVE WHERE WE CAN INVITE THESE CORPORATIONS, AS WELL AS THESE ART ENTITIES, UM, TOGETHER, WE COULD ACTUALLY START A MENTORING PROGRAM, UM, FOR, UH, FOR STARTUPS, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT AN ASPECT OF HOW THESE ARTS, UM, ORGANIZATIONS CAN, UM, BE EFFECTIVE ALONG WITH THE CORPORATE WORLD.

HOW DO WE FIT IN THAT WORLD? BECAUSE I'M ALSO A BUSINESS OWNER AND ENTREPRENEUR, SO HOW DO WE FIT TOGETHER? HOW DO WE MESH TOGETHER? HOW CAN I COME IN AND TEACH YOU THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN FROM AN ARTISTIC PERSPECTIVE, UM, FROM THE BLACK COMMUNITY, HOW CAN, UM, WE BRING IN MS. AMY MOCK FROM THE, UM, COMMISSION AND HAVE HER GIVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE ASIAN COMMUNITY AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, TYPES OF FUNDS THAT THEY NEED, BUT NOT JUST US LET THE COMMUNITY FROM THE ARTS, BE THEIR OWN VOICE, AS WELL AS HAVE A FUNDRAISING FACET GOING ON.

UM, SO I THINK I KNOW THAT'S BIG, I THINK BIG, AND I THINK THAT'S HOW, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO THINK, UM, UM, BEING THAT I'M COMING FROM THE, I WOULD SAY AS A HOUSTON ARTIST, THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM.

AND THAT PERSPECTIVE OF THINKING BIG, I THINK WE COULD DO SOMETHING ON THAT SCALE, UM, HERE IN AUSTIN, WHICH I HAVEN'T SEEN AS AN ART LIBRARIAN AS AN ARCHIVIST.

AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE MAJOR IN 2020 TO 2023, NOT GOING AGAINST SOUTHWEST BY SOUTHWEST, BUT THEY ARE SELECTED.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST MY LITTLE TIDBIT FOR TODAY.

I LOVE IT.

UH, COMMISSIONER, THIS MAN, THIS IS QUICK.

I'LL JUST CLOSE THIS UP GUYS.

JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.

SO SYLVIA, I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT UP UNTIL THE AEDC IS UP ON ITS FEET UNTIL ITS ROLES ARE FILLED, IT IS NOT ACCEPTING DONATIONS.

IT CANNOT ACCEPT DONATIONS, RIGHT? LIKE IF MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY SAYS, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GOING TO DROP ALL THAT MONEY RIGHT INTO THE AEC FOR THE TIME BEING, IT WOULD NEED TO COME THROUGH THE CITY OR CAN THEY, ARE THEY AT A POINT WHERE THEY COULD STILL BE FACILITATING DONATIONS? IF IT, IF IT MATTHEW CALLS TOMORROW? NO, WE WOULD NEED TO HOLD IT ON THE CITY SIDE, BUT I WOULD LOVE THAT CALL CULTURE MAP SAYS HE'S COMING, HE'S COMING TO SAVE US.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, CARL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

[3.a. Pat Buchta, Austin Texas Musicians]

I WOULD SO LOVE TO MAKE THIS INTRODUCTION.

UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE WELCOMING PAT BOUCHER.

HE IS THE, I BELIEVE THE DIRECTOR OF AT ATX AND PAT, FORGIVE ME IF I HAVE YOUR TITLE, UH, INCORRECT.

UM, THEY HAVE BEEN DOING SOME INCREDIBLE WORK, UH, REVOLVING AROUND THE COVID SITUATION, DELTA, UM, THE RECENT SPREAD OF COVID THROUGH THE MUSIC COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY, AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE PERTINENT FOR US AS THE ARTS COMMISSION TO HEAR THE MOMENTUM, UM, AND THE ACTION THEY ARE TAKING TO, IF ANYTHING, PROMOTE AWARENESS AND SAFETY.

UM, PAT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE IT FROM THERE? OKAY.

HI, SELENA AND HELLO, EVERYONE.

UH, WONDERFUL TO BE HERE.

I KNOW SOME OF YOU AND SOME OF YOU, I DON'T KNOW, UH, BUT IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.

AND, UM, I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS.

WE ARE A 5 0 1 C4 NONPROFITS.

WE ARE A POLITICAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION.

UM, AND I BELIEVE I SENT OVER A PRESENTATION.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN PULL THAT UP.

UH, BUT I DO WANT TO BE VERY CONCISE AND BRIEF WITH THAT BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A VERY, UH, PACKED AGENDA TONIGHT.

UM, SO YEAH, UH, OUR MISSION, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE SERVING AS THE TRUSTED VOICE FOR AUSTIN MUSICIANS.

LET'S, LET'S

[00:40:01]

MOVE ALONG.

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UH, SO IN 2019 WE GOT OUR START AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID FOCUS ON WAS GETTING THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, UH, BRINGING THAT TO REALITY, YOU KNOW, UH, FULLY, YOU KNOW, MAKING THE ARGUMENT THAT, UH, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES, UH, SHOULD A PORTION OF IT SHOULD RIGHTFULLY GO, UH, TO OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.

AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME MUSICIANS OUT TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER OF 2019 AND, AND GET THAT ON THE TABLE.

UH, AND NOW WE KNOW THAT AS FULL OUT MUSIC FUND.

UM, AND JUST THANK YOU EDD FOR ALL THE WORK YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING INTO THAT.

UH, WE ALSO ELECTED OUR MUSICIANS ADVISORY PANEL, AS YOU SEE THERE, UH, MADE UP EXCLUSIVELY OF, UH, AUSTIN MUSICIANS.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND, UH, IN 2020 WE REALIZED PRETTY QUICKLY THAT WE HAD TO PIVOT, UH, AND ACTUALLY EXPAND OUR SERVICES QUITE A BIT, UH, TO MEET THE MOST BASIC NEEDS OF MUSICIANS DURING THE PANDEMIC.

UH, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS WE WERE ABLE TO DO IS WE DID KIND OF WORK WITH, UH, EDD A LITTLE BIT TO HELP INFORM SOME OF THE, UH, GUIDELINES, UH, ON THE AUSTIN MUSIC DISASTER RELIEF FUND, AND ALSO TO GET, UM, MUSIC HERE AS INVOLVED AS THE ADMIN OF THAT FUND, UH, AS WELL, UH, WITH OUR SUFFERING VENUES.

UH, WE DID MAKE A BIG STEAK, UH, SHOWING UP AT CITY ALL THREE DIFFERENT TIMES OUTSIDE TO RALLY IN A VERY SAFE WAY, UH, TO FINALLY GET 5 MILLION, UH, IN, UH, WHAT WE NOW CALL THE SAVES, UH, MUSIC VIDEO PRESERVATION FUND.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UH HUH.

IN 2020, WE ALSO WERE FORTUNATE TO MAKE SOME REALLY CRUCIAL PARTNERSHIPS, UH, WITH TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION, UH, AND WE'RE ABLE TO CONNECT OVER A HUNDRED MUSICIANS DIRECTLY TO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, UH, ALSO WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS.

UH, WE GET THESE WEEKLY JOB LISTINGS TAILORED JUST FOR OUR MUSICIANS.

SO THAT'S BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP FOR US AS WELL.

UH, HAM, WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, UH, SO THAT WE MAKE SURE TO, TO REALLY REACH INTO EVERY, UH, UNDERSERVED MUSIC COMMUNITY.

UH, AND THEN I'LL ALSO WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL WITH REPRESENTATIVE BOY DIET, UH, WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, PLEASED TO DO A LOT OF EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION AND HAPPY CAUSE HE THREW HIM ON, UH, LIVE EVENTS, LIVE STREAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, HM.

AND THEN I MENTIONED OUR MUSICIANS ADVISORY PANEL.

UH, THESE GUYS ARE AMAZING.

WE HAVE SO MANY, UH, HARDWORKING VOLUNTEERS, UM, AND WHAT THEY DID LAST YEAR, WE FORMED OUR ATX AND VOTES TEAM AND REGISTERED, UH, OVER 700 NEW VOTERS, UH, IN TRAVIS COUNTY.

UH, WE HAVE OUR ATX AND REACH TEAM, UH, WHICH ADDRESSES, UH, ISSUES OF EQUITY FOR, UH, BLACK, LATIN, ASIAN, UH, LGBTQ PLUS AND WOMEN MUSICIANS, UH, IN AUSTIN.

AND SOME OF YOU ACTUALLY, I BELIEVE, ARE WORKING WITH OUR WELL, WE NOW CALL THE ATX M SISTERHOOD, UH, REPRESENTING, UH, WOMEN, WOMEN MUSICIANS IN AUSTIN.

AND I BELIEVE THE MUSIC COMMISSION HAS NOW, UH, CREATED A GENDER EQUITY WORKING GROUP BECAUSE OF THAT EFFORT.

UH, ULTIMATELY ALSO ATX, EMBRIDGE, UH, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON RELATIONSHIPS, UH, BETWEEN THE MUSICIANS AND VENUES.

UH, NEXT LINE PLEASE.

AMEN.

HOPEFULLY IN 2021, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME CROSSOVER HERE, I THINK TO WHAT YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT.

WE'RE REALLY DOUBLING DOWN ON, UH, CREATING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BRINGING IN CORPORATE RELATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, POSITIONING SOME OF OUR MUSICIANS, UH, TO BE INVESTORS.

SO IF OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY ON THE CORPORATE LEVEL, UH WE'RE UM, ALSO IN CONVERSATIONS NOW, UH, WITH DEVELOPERS AND SOME OTHER PARTIES ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE AND SOME OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS, UH, AFFORDABLE PARKING W UH, WITH, UH, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE ABILITY ON AUSTIN.

I NEVER KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE THAT.

AND, UH, THEN WE HAVE ALSO CREATED A REALLY STRONG PROPOSAL FOR LIFE INSURANCE, UH, IN RETIREMENT PLANS FOR MUSICIANS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THE AEDC ON, UM, NEXT LINE.

UH, AND THEN, UH, JUST FINALLY, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO, UH, CREATE A LOT OF PAID INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR MUSICIANS, A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TRAIL FOUNDATION.

UH, WE PICKED UP, UH, 12,500, UH, FOR GIGS, UH, WITH ALONG CENTER'S GOOD VIBES, ONLY PROGRAM, AND NOW, UH, WITH THE NEW MUSIC LEAN DEVELOPMENTAL.

AND SO, UM, NEXT SLIDE.

THE CITY, UH, AFTER THE FREEZE, UM, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE GATHERED AT THE MILLENNIUM, UH, TO SERVE, UH, IT WAS ACTUALLY OVER 400 UNEMPLOYED MUSICIANS EVENT AND VENUE WORKERS, UH, WHO WAS SERVED FOOD AND WATER TO OVER 10,000, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS IN THE, UH, THAT WEEK.

AND THEN SERVICE.

THIS WAS A, UH, INTERESTING THING THAT POPPED UP.

UH, WE DID, UH, PARTNER WITH

[00:45:01]

AND SO WE WERE REALLY, REALLY PROUD TO PARTNER WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, NATASHA POPE OF MADISON, UH, MAYOR ADLER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KUSAMA, AND OTHERS TO SORT OF GET THAT OFF THE GREENLAND AND DID WELL WHEN A BEST OF BOSTON AWARD FOR THAT, WHICH IS REALLY COOL.

UM, AND THEN ALSO WE WERE ABLE TO GET, UH, 500 PFIZER VACCINES OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, THROUGH SOME LOCAL EVENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS, UH, NEXT LINE.

UH, AND SO THAT'S BASICALLY IT.

UM, AND IF YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD WE'RE PART OF THE MUSIC MAKES AUSTIN COALITION OF NONPROFITS.

UH, SO WE'RE KIND OF PARTNERED UP WITH, UH, MUSIC VENUE ALLIANCE, RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT IN AUSTIN, UH, BUT PRETTY INFORMATION YOU GUYS NEED.

UH, THERE'S MY CONTACT, BUT, UM, THAT'S ENOUGH ABOUT US.

I KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE ON A REALLY TIGHT AGENDA HERE, AND I THINK THE BIG QUESTION TODAY, UH, IS WHAT DO WE KNOW, UM, ABOUT THE GOVERNOR'S RESOLUTION, UH, AS IT RELATES TO ARTS VENUES? UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S BEEN A BIG QUESTION AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S CHANGING FOR WEEKS A WEEK RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND SO JUST TODAY, UH, I WAS IN A CALL, UH, WITH, UM, BRANDON ANTHONY, WHO IS THE, UH, CEO OF, UH, THE TEXAS MUSIC MUSIC OFFICE.

AND SO THEY WERE THE, UH, GOVERNOR'S OFFICIAL, UH, OFFICE FOR MUSIC HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

UH, AND WE DID ASK FOR SOME REAL SPECIFIC CLARITY, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, IF YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW THERE'S, UH, SB 9, 6, 8 IN THE EXECUTIVE ORDER, UH, GA 38, UH, WHICH SPEAK DIRECTLY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THESE VENUES CAN START TO, UM, REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, VACCINATION, UH, PROOF OF VACCINATION, OR CAN THEY, UH, REQUIRE COVID TESTS OR CAN THEY EVEN REQUIRE A MASK MANDATE? UM, AND YOU KNOW, SO WE, WE ASKED ALL THOSE QUESTIONS TODAY AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GOT, UH, VERY SPECIFICALLY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, UH, KIND OF WORKED EXTRA HARD TO MAKE THAT REALLY UNCLEAR IN CASE OF THAT, THAT LANGUAGE IS VERY BROAD BECAUSE I THINK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE WAY THE LANGUAGE IS STATED, IS THAT ANY, ANY BUSINESSES OR ORGANIZATIONS THAT RE RECEIVED PUBLIC FUNDING, UH, COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE THEIR LICENSES OR PERMITS POLE OR HAVE FUTURE FUNDING RE REVOKED IF THEY REQUIRE ANY OF THESE THINGS? UM, SO WE ASKED THE QUESTION, WELL, OBVIOUSLY THAT CAN'T POSSIBLY APPLY TO, UH, FEDERAL, YOU KNOW, THOSE SPOG GRANTS, THE SAVE OUR STAGES GRANTS THAT CAN'T APPLY TO CITY FUNDING, LIKE THE SAVES, UM, MONEY THAT EDD GOT OUT THE DOOR SO RECENTLY.

UM, AND THE ANSWER WE GOT IS PROBABLY NOT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO PUT ANYBODY IN HARM'S WAY OR EVEN TO SPEAK, UH, FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT AT THIS POINT, UM, AND GIVE OUT INFORMATION THAT THAT MAY NOT BE TRUE OR MAY GET PEOPLE IN TROUBLE.

UM, AND SO THE NEXT STEP, REALLY, I THINK IN THIS PROCESS IS THAT, UM, REBECCA REYNOLDS, WHO WAS, UM, THE PRESIDENT OF THE MUSIC VENUE ALLIANCE, UH, AND SOME OF OUR OTHER LEGAL PARTNERS WITH, UH, TALLWOOD, TEXAS ACCOUNTANTS AND WATERS FOR THE ARTS, UH, ARE GOING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, IN A REALLY GRANULAR WAY TO LOOK AT, UM, THOSE RESOLUTIONS AND TO REALLY ASK ALL THOSE QUESTIONS AND TO SEE WHAT THAT LANGUAGE MEANS.

AND THEN BRENDAN SUGGESTED THAT THE NEXT STEP IN THAT PROCESS WOULD BE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THOSE AGENCIES THAT WOULD BE ENFORCING THOSE THINGS AND ASK FOR THAT CLARITY, NOT ONLY, UH, ON THE GOVERNOR'S LEVEL, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH HIS LEGAL TEAM AND THE AGS OFFICE, BUT ALSO, UH, WITH THOSE ENFORCING ENTITIES, UH, SUCH AS THE TABC AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, SO THAT'S OUR NEXT STEP THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE, UH, IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

UM, WE HOPE TO PROVIDE MORE CLARITY, BUT REALLY, I THINK AT THIS POINT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A GUESSING GAME AS TO WHAT'S GOING TO FLY AND WHAT'S NOT.

UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TAKE ANY EXTRA TIME I HAVE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS, WE CAN.

THAT PARSING BECAUSE AS A THEATER PRODUCER, I KNOW WHAT A CHALLENGE IT IS RIGHT NOW FOR US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO AND HOW WE KEEP PEOPLE SAFE.

KAT.

WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH AT TIME.

I GUESS MY, MY BIG QUESTION FOR YOU IS I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE, UM, REBECCA REYNOLDS AND THE TALLA ARE ON

[00:50:01]

UM, SO I WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS DISCOVER.

CAN YOU KEEP US IN THAT LOOP? IS THAT SOMETHING, WELL, I GUESS IF, UH, SELENA YOU AND I CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, BE A CONDUIT FOR THAT INFORMATION READ.

YEP, ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYONE.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR PAT, UH, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO? UM, PAT, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

UH, I THINK IT'S AMAZING.

I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M GONNA PUT A CHALLENGE OUT TO OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITIES.

LIKE WE NEED A COUNTERPOINT OR NOT A COUNTERPOINT, BUT, UH, UH, WE NEED SOMEONE ON THIS SIDE, RIGHT.

TO WHO'S WHO'S GIVING OUT THAT SAME INFORMATION, RIGHT.

PUSHING FOR SIMILAR EFFORTS, RIGHT.

UH, LIFE INSURANCE FOR MUSICIANS.

THAT'S AWESOME.

LIKE WHY, WHY AREN'T WE PURSUING THAT FOR, FOR, FOR OTHER CREATIVES, UH, YOU KNOW, AND JUST ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FLORES.

AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT PUBLIC SO THAT WE CAN SEE AND LEARN FROM YOU.

UM, IT'S, IT'S TRULY AN HONOR TO SERVE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STRENGTH IN NUMBERS.

SO ANY OF THIS STUFF YOU GUYS WANT TO COLLABORATE ON, IT'S IT PROBABLY SENDS A STRONGER MESSAGE, UH, IF WE PARTNER UP ON SOME OF THAT STUFF.

SO I WAS GOING TO SAY, WHEN YOU GET TO THE ADVOCACY PIECE, KNOW THAT HERE WE ARE, AND WE'VE ARE FIGHTING THE SAME FIGHTS AND THE SAME BATTLES AND INCLUDING THE SAME CHALLENGES.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE HERE WITH YOU.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.

BRILLIANT.

DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.

AND YES, I'M HIS BOY.

HOW DO WE REPLICATE YOU AND HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ADD AND CREATIVES TO THE MISSION OF THESE ORGANIZATION? BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT.

STRENGTHENED NUMBERS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED ALL THE HELP.

I'M A FORMER, YOU KNOW, UM, AS I SAY, I'M A FORMER ADVOCATE, UH, IN POLITICAL ARENAS, UH, DO THAT FOR A LIVING ANYMORE.

HOWEVER, YOU ALL SEEM TO HAVE HAD AMAZING SUCCESSES WITH LOVE TO SEE SOME OF THAT ENERGY, UH, AND WORK, UH, YOU KNOW, COME OVER TO THE ART AND THE CREATIVE SIDE OF THE BALL.

SO, YEAH.

CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT.

AND JUST REAL QUICKLY TO, TO ADDRESS THAT, I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, WITHIN YOUR OWN CREATIVE COMMUNITY, YOU'VE PROBABLY GOT REALLY TALENTED, UH, VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH OF OUR SUCCESS HAS BEEN DUE TO THE FACT THAT MUSICIANS STEPPED UP AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO HELP.

WE WANT TO SERVE.

AND, UM, SO IT'S MY WHOLE KEY TO SUCCESS IS KIND OF THAT FULL TOM SAWYER MODEL OF LIKE, LOOK HOW FUNNY THIS PAINTING, THIS WHITE FENCE, DON'T, Y'ALL WANT TO HELP.

AND, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR MUSICIANS HAVE STEPPED UP AND I'D SAY, DO THE SAME, JUST MAKE THAT GRASSROOTS EFFORT WITHIN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE AND FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

ON OUR AGENDA, OUR STAFF BRIEFINGS ITEM FOUR, UM, STARTING WITH, FOR A LIVE MUSIC FUND UPDATE.

SO NEXT

[4.a. Live Music Fund Update – Kim McCarson, Music and Entertainment Division]

DO WE HAVE KIMBERLY MCCARSON? OH, I CAN WELCOME.

YES, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT THE PROPOSED GUIDELINES FOR A NEW PROGRAM.

AND CAN WE BRING UP THE PRESENTATION? THANKS.

SO YES, I'M HERE TO, UH, THANK YOU FIRST FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF SHARE THESE PROPOSED GUIDELINES WITH YOU TONIGHT.

UM, WE'RE HOPING TO COLLECT YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE NEW LIVE MUSIC AND EVENT PROGRAM NEXT TIME PLEASE.

SO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND CAME OUT OF THE VISITOR'S TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM TWO FROM 2017, AND IN THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THEY REQUESTED AND MUSIC CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAM TO COME TO BE SOURCED FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE.

AWARDS WOULD BE PAID OVER THAT PERIOD OF TO 12 MONTHS WITH A 50% UPFRONT, UH, ANNOUNCED, AND THEN DRAWN DOWN MONTHLY AND REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES WITH THE FINAL, UH, AMOUNT TO BE PAID OUT UPON RECEIPT OF FUND REPORT, WHICH WILL BE 10%.

SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM, UH, IS TO ENCOURAGE, PROMOTE, IMPROVE, AND SHOWCASE AUSTIN'S DIVERSE LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY THROUGH LIVE EVENTS AND VIRTUAL MUSIC EVENTS AND TO SUPPORT AUSTIN'S INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS, PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS AND BANDS THAT PRODUCE THESE EVENTS FOR LOCAL AUDIENCES, TOURIST AND CONVENTION DELEGATES.

THE AWARDS WOULD BE FROM 5,000 TO $10,000.

EACH THE CONTRACT PERIOD IS A YEAR UP TO A YEAR.

THE

[00:55:01]

SO THE KEY ELEMENTS FROM THE PROGRAM CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND THE MUSIC COMMISSION, UH, WROTE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL ABOUT PRESERVATION, INNOVATION AND ELEVATION AND COLLABORATION, WHICH WE CALL PI PRESERVATION IS ENRICHING THE PAST AND INVESTING IN THE HISTORIC CULTURAL HERITAGE OF BOSTON MUSIC AND PRESERVING THE TRADITIONS AND LEGACIES OF HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

INNOVATION IS ENVISIONING THE FUTURE AND INVESTING IN THE INNOVATION OF TRADITIONAL BUSINESS MODELS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO INNOVATIVE AND INCLUSIVE PRACTICES THAT BUILD CAPACITY IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND ELEVATION AND COLLABORATION ARE EMPOWERING THE PRESENT AND INVESTING IN THE ELEVATION AND EDUCATION AND PROMOTION OF AUSTIN MUSIC FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES, ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES WOULD INCLUDE LIVE AND VIRTUAL EVENTS, DISTRICT-BASED MUSICAL EVENTS, WHICH WOULD BE ALL OVER TOWN, NOT JUST IN ONE AREA, PAID MARKETING PLANS AND ALLOWABLE EXPENSES WOULD INCLUDE PERFORMANCE VENUE, OFFICE RENTAL INSURANCE, EMPLOYEE SALARIES, CONTRACTOR PAY, MARKETING, ADVERTISING, AND SUPPLIES.

SO PRIORITY IS GIVEN TO INDEPENDENT LIVE MUSIC PROMOTERS WITH THE STAFF OF THREE OR LESS PROFESSIONAL AUSTIN AREA MUSICIANS WHO PERFORM SOLO OR AS PART OF A BAND AND BLACK AFRICAN-AMERICAN NATIVE AMERICAN, ASIAN, HISPANIC, LATINO, MIDDLE EASTERN PACIFIC ISLAND, OR LBGTQ PLUS WOMEN IDENTIFYING DISABILITY COMMUNITIES AND OTHER HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

AND YOU MIGHT ASK, WHAT IS IT TO BE AN AUSTIN AREA MUSICIAN OR AN INDEPENDENT PROMOTER? AND WE HAVE DEFINITIONS FOR THOSE.

SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE SO PROFESSION OR SCENARIO MUSICIAN WOULD MEAN THAT YOU HAVE AT LEAST TWO YEARS, IT WOULD BE ALL OF THE, THESE NEXT THREE CRITERIA, AT LEAST TWO YEARS OF DOCUMENTATION, SHOWING THAT THE APPLICANT HAS REGULARLY PERFORMED AS A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, SIX RELEASED RECORDINGS, SIX PROMOTIONALLY RELEASED MUSIC VIDEOS, AND TO BE CONSIDERED AN INDEPENDENT PROMOTER, YOU WOULD NEED ALL OF THE PHONE NO MORE THAN THREE STAFF, AT LEAST TWO YEARS DOCUMENTING THAT YOU'VE CURATED AND PROMOTED SHOWS IN AUSTIN AND THE AUSTIN AND NOT BE CONTRACTUALLY TIED TO JUST ONE THING.

SO WE HAVE SOME PROPOSED SCORING CRITERIA.

APPLICANT REPRESENTATION OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IS AN APPLICANT WHO BELONGS TO, AND THAT'S 51% OF MEMBERS OF A BAND OR 51% OF PROMOTION COMPANY BELONGS TO A SEGMENT OF AUSTIN'S DIVERSE POPULATION THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE ARTS, BLACK AFRICAN-AMERICAN, NATIVE AMERICAN, ASIAN, HISPANIC, LATINO, MIDDLE EASTERN PACIFIC ISLANDER, UM, PRESERVATION ACTIVITIES THAT ENRICHED THE PAST OF UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

INNOVATION ENVISIONING THE FUTURE ELEVATION IN COLLABORATION, ACTIVITIES THAT EMPOWERED PRESENT COMPELLING.

I'M SORRY.

UM, THIS IS AN OLD SLIDE.

I'LL JUST MOVE ON THAT IT SHOULD BE COMPLETED.

LGBTQ PLUS WOMEN IDENTIFYING AND DISABILITY COMMUNITIES, AND THAT'S 51%, UH, COMPENSATION FOR PERFORMANCE AND PERFORMERS AND THE VET CONTRACTORS MARKETING PLAN SHOULD INCLUDE AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT.

IT ALSO SHOULD INCLUDE CULTURAL TOURISM AND THEN A PROJECT PLAN AND PROPOSED BUDGET.

A BITLY LINK HERE ON THIS SLIDE.

SO THERE ARE STILL SOME THINGS THAT WERE, UM, DETERMINING, UM, GIVEN THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM THE COMMUNITY AND STAFF CAPACITY, AND THAT IS, UM, WHO IS GOING TO BE, UM, DOING THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF ELIGIBILITY.

UM, WILL WE HAVE THIRD PARTY REVIEW PANELS AND, UH, WILL THERE BE A THIRD PARTY DOING PROGRAM WITH INSTRUCTION? UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THE NEXT STEPS IS THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO TAKE FEEDBACK THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST.

UH, WE HAVE A COMMENT BOX.

YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THIS, THERE'S

[01:00:01]

THAT'LL TAKE YOU STRAIGHT TO THAT.

AND ONCE WE GATHER THE FEEDBACK AFTER AUGUST, THEN WE WILL INCORPORATE THAT INTO OUR GUIDELINES AND THOSE WILL BE POSTED TO THE PUBLIC.

SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROCESS, YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT KIMBERLY DOT MCCARSON AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV, AND I'D LOVE TO, UH, HAVE ANY FEEDBACK TONIGHT.

AND IF THERE'S NOT TIME FOR THAT, UH, AGAIN, MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS THERE.

SO JUST WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS, THESE PROPOSED GUIDELINES AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

COMMISSIONER GRAY, UH, ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THE, UM, THE, UH, SCORING CRITERIA.

UM, IS IT A PLAN TO HAVE A SCALED MODEL TO THE 51% OR DOES 51% A ZERO OR, OR, UM, GOING FORWARD IN THAT MODEL? NO, I THINKING AT THIS POINT HAS BEEN 51% OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S YES OR NO, THAT SCALES.

OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS IS THIS MAN CAME, I'M NOT SAYING THIS IN OUR BACKUP.

WOULD YOU MIND SENDING IT ALONG TO STAFF FOR US SO WE CAN HAVE A COPY TO REFER BACK TO? SURE.

I'M SUPER EXCITED AT WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT TOGETHER.

IT'S NICE TO SEE IT HAPPENING AND NICE TO SEE THE SUPPORT FOR THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.

IT'S LENA.

UM, WHO DOES THAT? IT LOOKS LIKE JAIMACA THEO COMMISSIONER CASTILLO HAS BEEN MOVED OVER TO ATTENDEES.

CAN YOU PULL HIM BACK OVER TO THE PARTICIPANTS? THANK YOU.

DID HE GET KICKED OUT? I GOT KICKED OUT.

WHAT ARE YOU MISBEHAVING AGAIN? POPPED ME RIGHT HANDED.

AND I DID HAVE MY HAND RAISED.

OH, WELL, THAT'S PROBABLY WHY, LIKE, IT'S JUST YES.

OR YOUR QUESTION.

UM, I GUESS MORE OF A COMMENT LIKE I'M SEEING, I'M SEEING THE PARALLELS BETWEEN THE PIE.

UM, I, I'M NOT SURE HOW THEY'RE REFERRING TO IT, BUT THE PI IN THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND ARTS COMMISSIONS, FOUR PILLARS, I'M SEEING THAT PARALLEL.

AND I JUST, UH, I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT THAT LIKE, AS, AS, AS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE, THE FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, THAT THAT EDD IS AS A DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? ALL THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS HAVE BEEN HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS AND TRYING TO BRING ALL OF, ALL OF THE FUNDING PROGRAMS SORT OF IN LINE.

THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME, BUT THEY'RE DEFINITELY, UM, GUIDED BY SIMILAR PRINCIPLES.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART FOR EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND AS WELL AS IS LIKE, IS THAT PART OF THAT ALIGNMENT WAS, IS PART OF THE WORK AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU.

THAT'S RIGHT THROUGH AUGUST 31ST.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR KIMBERLY MS. CARSON? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK AND THANK YOU FOR THE REST OF THE STAFF OR ALL THE STUFF YOU'RE DOING.

YOU'RE WELCOME IN CLOSING.

I'D JUST LIKE TO MENTION THAT WE, UH, WE HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM, SEVERAL OTHER GROUPS, AND WE HAVE SOME MORE UPDATED INFORMATION THAT WE IN ANOTHER PRESENTATION THAT WE CAN SEND OUT TO YOU ALL.

AND IF YOU'D LIKE, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.

AND YOU ARE OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH.

UM, I'M HAVING VIDEO PROBLEMS, BUT I HAVE MY HAND RAISED.

UM, I WAS GONNA MAYBE RECOMMEND, MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE FOR D THE ARTS AND CULTURE NON-PROFIT RELIEF GRANT UPDATE.

[4.d. Arts and Culture Non-Profit Relief Grant Update - Laura Odegaard, Project Manager Senior, Art in Public Places, Cultural Arts Division]

IF WE CAN MOVE THAT UP TO NOW.

ANY ABSTENTIONS COMMISSIONER BARNES APPROVED MR. THREE-TON MISSIONARY.

I'VE GOT A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER CASTILLO TO MOVE FOUR D ABOVE FOUR, B AND C AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER SYSMON ANY OPPOSED? ALL IN FAVOR.

AYE.

IT LOOKS LIKE WE PASS.

WE'VE GOT ONE OFF THE DYESS AND LET'S MAKE THAT A THING.

SO WE WILL GO WITH THE ARTS AND CULTURE NON-PROFIT RELIEF BRAND UPDATE WITH LAURA GUARD, LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.

I THINK I JUST GOT MOVED OVER.

COULD YOU PLEASE PULL UP MY PRESENTATION CITY HALL STAFF WHILE THAT'S HAPPENING? GIVE US ONE MINUTE.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

NO WORRIES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT.

UH, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

[01:05:01]

I'M LAURA ODEGAARD WITH THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION AND I'M GOING TO BE PRESENTING SOME OF THE OUTCOMES FROM THE RECENT ARTS AND CULTURE NON-PROFIT RELIEF GRANTS.

I WILL MAYBE JUST KEEP TALKING WHILE WAITING FOR CITY HALL TO LOAD THE PRESENTATION.

UM, BUT JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION AS A REMINDER TO, UM, TO YOU ALL AND TO ANYONE THAT'S WATCHING THIS EVENING, UM, THIS, THIS RELIEF GRANT WAS A $2 MILLION ALLOCATION.

THAT WAS PART OF THE CITY'S AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, UM, FUNDING.

AND SO THE IDEA WAS THAT WE WOULD HAVE 101 TIME FLAT UNRESTRICTED GRANTS OF $20,000.

AS A REMINDER, THE APPLICATION PERIOD WAS FROM JULY 14TH TO AUGUST 2ND.

SO WE JUST RECENTLY CLOSED THIS, THIS, UM, GRANT APPLICATION, UM, LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AGO.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING GOOD.

UH, NOTIFICATIONS ARE SCHEDULED TO GO OUT TO ALL ARTS AND CULTURE ARTS AND CULTURE NONPROFITS THIS WEEK AND FUNDING IS SCHEDULED TO BE DISTRIBUTED NEXT WEEK.

SO EVERYTHING IS ON SCHEDULE FOR MONEY TO GO OUT THE DOOR NEXT WEEK.

UM, AND AS A REMINDER, JUST SOME OF THE CHANGES FROM THIS ROUND VERSUS SOME OF THE PREVIOUS ROUNDS, THIS WAS NOT REIMBURSEMENT DRIVEN, NO RECEIPTS, NOTHING LIKE THAT, NO REIMBURSEMENT DRIVEN.

UH, IT WAS A SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION.

UM, AND ADDITIONALLY, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE AWARDS WERE BASED ON SCORE.

DID YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? CITY HALL? SO THIS IS JUST A SUMMARY OF EVERYTHING THAT I WAS JUST SPEAKING TO.

SO WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED? UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THIS IS, THIS IS THE, WHERE, WHERE WE LANDED.

SO WE HAD 217 ARTS AND CULTURE NONPROFITS APPLY FOR THIS FUNDING PROGRAM OF THAT 196 WERE ELIGIBLE.

WE HAD 21 INELIGIBLE APPLICANTS AND PRIMARILY THEY EITHER DIDN'T FIT IN THE ARTS AND CULTURE, NONPROFIT, UM, BUCKET.

THEIR MISSION WAS NOT ARTS AND CULTURE SPECIFIC, OR THEY WEREN'T A 5 0 1 C3 FOR TWO YEARS.

SO THOSE WERE KIND OF THE PRIMARY REASONS THAT, UM, ORGANIZATIONS WERE INELIGIBLE FOR THIS GRANTS.

SO OF THE TOTAL 196 ELIGIBLE 163 OF THOSE WERE CULTURAL FUNDING RECIPIENTS.

SO THAT WAS 83% WERE CULTURAL FUNDING RECIPIENTS, 45 OF THE 1 96 HAVE A VENUE.

SO THAT WAS 23%.

THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT, UM, CITY COUNCIL HAD HAD REQUESTED THAT WE, WE ASKED ABOUT, UM, 15 OF THE 96 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS RECEIVED FEDERAL SHUTTERED VENUE OPERATOR MONIES.

SO THAT WAS 8%.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, 96 OF THE ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS DID NOT RECEIVE ANY FUNDING IN THE PREVIOUS NON-PROFIT RELIEF GRANTS.

SO THAT WAS 49% OF OUR ELIGIBLE, UM, APPLICANTS.

UM, AND AS A REMINDER, ALL APPLICANTS WERE SCORED AGAINST THE ESTABLISHED MATRIX, WHICH WAS DEVELOPED WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UM, PREVIOUS, UM, COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS AND CITY STAFF.

SO JUST WANTED TO, SO KIND OF PUT THIS UP HERE AS A REMINDER FOR WHAT OUR GOALS WERE WITH THIS PROGRAM.

WE WANTED TO BE LEADING WITH EQUITY IN, IN THIS PROGRAM.

UM, AND SPECIFICALLY THE THREE CATEGORIES THAT WE SPOKE TOWARDS WERE EQUITY ORGANIZATION AND URGENCY.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN, UM, HERE AND THE APPLICATION ITSELF WAS, AGAIN, IT WAS A SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TO APPLY AND HOWEVER, THEY RESPONDED THAT WAS GOING TO DIRECTLY IMPACT THEIR SCORE.

UM, AND SO WE HAD LITTLE ASTERISK CS ON THE QUESTIONS THAT NOTIFIED THEM AND SAID, OKAY, YES, THIS ONE IS TIED TO YOUR SCORE.

THIS ONE IS TIED YOUR SCORE.

SO THEY KNEW AS THEY WERE FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION, WHICH QUESTIONS WOULD BE TYING TOWARD THE MATRIX.

SO ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE ALL ELIGIBLE.

SO HERE'S, HERE'S WHERE WE'RE GOING.

SO THE QUESTION IS, DID THE MATRIX WORK RIGHT? LIKE WE HAD THESE GOALS IN MIND, SO DID IT WORK?

[01:10:01]

SO THE 1 96 ORGANIZATIONS AND WHAT THE PERCENTAGE OF THEIR BOARD BREAKDOWN WAS.

SO WE CAN SEE THAT 15% OF THE ELIGIBLE NON-PROFITS HAD 100% BIPAP BOARD MAKEUP, 22% OF THOSE FOR 50% BIPAP BOARD MAKEUP, ET CETERA.

SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, WHEN WE'RE COMPARING THE ALL ELIGIBLE TO THE TOP 100, WE WANT TO SEE THOSE, THOSE BIPAP PERCENTAGES INCREASE.

SO IT WORKED, IT HAPPENED.

SO THE TOTAL APPLICANTS, WE HAD 15% WERE A HUNDRED PERCENT BIPAP FORDS OF THOSE THAT ARE IN THE TOP 124% OF THE, THE TOP 100 ARE LED WITH BOARDS THAT ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT BIPAP BOARDS.

UM, SO WE WANT TO SEE THAT PERCENTAGE INCREASE FOR THE, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE STRONGLY BYPASS LED IN THE BOARD MAKEUP.

AND WE WANTED TO SEE MAYBE BOARDS THAT HAD 0% BIPAP MAKEUP IN THE ACTUAL FUNDED GROUP.

WE WANTED THAT PERCENTAGE TO GET SMALLER.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT HERE.

AND, UM, I GUESS WHAT THE, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER GREY HAD ASKED FOR THE PREVIOUS PROGRAM WAS AROUND, UM, IF WE HAD SCALED DEMOGRAPHIC CRITERIA FOR THIS PROGRAM, WE DID ASK FOR COUNTS OF BOARD MEMBERS.

AND SO THAT'S HOW, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT BREAKDOWNS, UM, AND TH AND THE DIFFERENT SCALED VERSIONS OF WHAT THE BIPAP MAKEUP WAS FOR THE BOARD.

SO GO BACK ONE, PLEASE.

SO HERE WE CAN SEE THE, THE BOARD PERCENTAGE, UM, THE GENDER PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN.

AND SO THE GREEN IS THE 100% OF THEIR BOARD IS EITHER WOMEN OR NON-BINARY.

AND SO AGAIN, WE CAN SEE IN THE TOTAL POOL, 9% OF THE BOARDS WERE 100% WOMEN OR NON-BINARY, AND THEN WE INCREASED THAT AMOUNT, WHICH IS GOOD.

THAT'S WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO DO TO 13%.

SO 13% OF THE FUNDED, THE TOP 100 THAT ARE GOING TO BE RECEIVING FUNDING WERE, WERE WOMEN AND NON-BINARY BOARDS.

UM, SO YOU CAN SEE HOW, UM, FOR ALL THE BOARD BREAKDOWNS, UM, 175%, 50%, 25%, THE 25% ONE GOT SMALLER AND 0% WOMEN, OR NON-BINARY BOARD WENT DOWN FROM 11 TO 3%.

IN SOME OF THE OTHER PERCENTAGES.

AND WE'LL HAVE WE'LL, WE'LL SHARE THIS ALL AS BACKUP, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS WELL WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE FINISHED WITH THIS PRESENTATION.

UM, SO HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE OTHER BOARDS, DEMOGRAPHICS OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT, THAT APPLIED AND THEN ARE IN THE TOP 100.

SO WE CAN SEE THE BOARD BREAKDOWN BY LGBTQ PERCENTAGES, AND WE CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD THAT IDENTIFY AS BEING IN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY.

AND SO AGAIN, WE CAN SEE THAT, UM, THE LGBTQ BOARDS THAT 50% OR MORE IDENTIFIED AS LGBTQ, WE WENT FROM 9% IN THE ELIGIBLE TO 15% IN THE TOP 100, WHICH IS WHAT WE WANTED TO SEE.

SO ALL OF THESE ARE INDICATING THAT THE MATRIX IS WORKING IN THE WAY THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO.

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THEN I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, AND THE NUMBERS APOLOGIES THE NUMBERS WHEN, WHEN PUTTING THIS INTO POWERPOINTS, UM, SHRANK LIKE CRAZY.

SO I'M HAPPY TO READ THEM OUT LOUD, UM, AND APOLOGIES FOR THAT.

BUT THE, THE BIG PICTURE, RIGHT ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RACE AND ETHNICITY IDENTIFIERS.

SO THE, THE KIND OF BROWNISH COLOR, UM, IS 60%.

SO 60% OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS THAT APPLIED WERE WHITE OF THE TOP 100, THAT NUMBER WENT DOWN TO 42%.

SO WE WANTED TO SEE THAT PART GO DOWN AND WE WANTED TO SEE AN INCREASE

[01:15:01]

SO FOR EXAMPLE, ORANGE, THE ORANGE PIE SLICE IS AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THAT IDENTIFIED AS BLACK OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN OF THE ELIGIBLE.

NON-PROFITS 10% OF THOSE WERE LED BY BLACK OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN EDS OF THE TOP 114% OF THOSE WERE LED BY BLACK OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN EDS.

SO AGAIN, THE PERCENTAGES ARE INCREASING BECAUSE THE TOP 100, WE'RE LOOKING AT A TOTAL POOL OF A HUNDRED, THE ALL ELIGIBLE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A POOL OF 196.

UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO THE, THE YELLOW PIE SLICE IS A WOMEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, AND THE ORANGE PIE SLICE IS NON-BINARY EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS.

AND SO WE CAN SEE THAT THAT PERCENTAGE WENT FROM 56% OF ALL ELIGIBLE TO 61% IN THE TOP 100, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND IN THE BACKUP, I'LL SHARE THE ACTUAL NUMBERS AS WELL.

UM, AND AS, AS WELL AS THE PERCENTAGES FOR THOSE.

UM, AND SO HERE, THE OTHER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DEMOGRAPHICS, WE CAN SEE WHAT THE BREAKDOWN WAS FOR IF THEY IDENTIFIED AS LGBTQ, IF THEY IDENTIFIED AS A MEMBER OF THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY, AND IF THE IDENTIFIED AS A VETERAN.

SO JUST FOR EXAMPLE, TO SHARE SOME NUMBERS WITH YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS 1% MAYBE OF THE 1 96 AND STILL 1% IN THE TOP 100, BUT THAT IS STILL FIVE.

I THINK WE HAD FIVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS THAT, OH, THAT'S, I'M READING THE WRONG ONE, BUT SOME OF, SOME OF THE NUMBERS, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN LIKE, IT LOOKS LIKE 5% SAID, YES, THEY IDENTIFIED AS A VETERAN IN THE NUMBERS OF THAT WERE LIKE FIVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS WERE VETERANS, ALL FIVE OF THOSE WERE FUNDED.

SO JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POOL, NOT THE NUMBER TO NUMBER.

SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION TO KEEP IN MIND.

UM, SO, SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

IS STAFF, CAN WE KEEP COMMISSIONER, DO YOU WANT ON THE PARTICIPANTS LIST PLEASE? PRETTY PLEASED.

SO THAT WAS SO ALL OF THAT WAS JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT TO SAY THE MATRIX WORKED.

WE WERE LEADING WITH EQUITY AND ALL OF THOSE PIECES PUT TOGETHER ALONG WITH HAD THEY RECEIVED, UM, MONEY BEFORE FOR THE PRIOR NON-PROFIT GRANTS.

DO THEY HAVE A VENUE? DO THEY, DID THEY RECEIVE SHUTTERED VENUE RELIEF? ALL OF THOSE THINGS WENT INTO THE MATRIX TOGETHER AND SCORED EVERYONE.

AND SO THE ORIGINAL PLAN IS WE HAVE $2 MILLION.

WE CAN FUND A HUNDRED GRANTS.

AND SO WE WERE GOING FROM THE TOP TO THE NUMBER 100 ON THE LIST.

SO WE'D BE ABLE TO FUND THOSE PEOPLE.

AND THEN EVERYONE BELOW THAT NUMBER WOULD NOT RECEIVE THIS FUNDING.

HOWEVER, LAST THURSDAY CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO ALLOCATE AN ADDITIONAL $1 MILLION TO THIS FUND, WHICH MEANS WE CAN GRANT AN EXTRA 50 ORGANIZATIONS FROM, FROM THAT EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS.

THE ONLY CAVEAT IS THAT WE WILL NOTIFY THE NEXT 50 GROUP THAT THEY WILL BE RECEIVING MONEY, BUT THEY WON'T ACTUALLY GET THE MONEY UNTIL OCTOBER WHEN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR BEGINS, JUST BECAUSE CITY, WE CAN'T MOVE THE MONEY, UM, AHEAD OF OUR FISCAL YEAR, UNFORTUNATELY.

UM, SO THOSE GROUPS THAT NEXT 50, THEY WILL GET NOTIFICATIONS THAT CONGRATULATIONS, YOU RECEIVED THIS $20,000 AWARD IN OCTOBER.

YOU WILL ACTUALLY GET YOUR CHECK.

AND THEN PART OF THE DISCUSSION FOR YOU ALL THIS EVENING IS THE $500,000.

UM, THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE FLOATING $500,000 THAT COULD POTENTIALLY FUND AN ADDITIONAL 25 ORGANIZATIONS.

UM, SO THAT IS, UH, I THINK SANOFI WILL PROBABLY BE DISCUSSING THAT MORE, UM, IN HER PRESENTATION.

UM, BUT JUST TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT IF THERE WAS ANOTHER $500,000 ALLOCATED TO THIS POT OF MONEY, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO FUND 25 MORE ORGANIZATIONS.

AND IF ALL, IF WE HAD THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS INTO THIS FUND, THERE WOULD STILL BE 21 ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS WHO WILL NOT RECEIVE FUNDS.

IN ADDITION TO THE 21 ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INELIGIBLE.

UM, AND WITH THAT, I WILL TAKE A PAUSE AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

NOW

[01:20:05]

HE'S GETTING KICKED BACK, PLEASE.

IS THAT RACE, RACE IS NO LONGER A DETERMINANT OF, UM, QUALITY OF LIFE, ESSENTIALLY.

COMMISSIONER FLORES.

YOU'RE MUTED.

ANYONE ELSE HERE? COMMISSIONER FLORES.

COMMISSIONER BARNS, BUT WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT AND GIVE US A HOT SECOND.

OH, NOPE.

WE'VE LOST HIM TOO.

I'M JUST GETS, KEEP, KEEPS GETTING KICKED OUT.

NO ONE ELSE CAN HEAR IT.

BE HEARD YOU TRY MUTING AND UNMUTING COMMISSIONER FLORES.

YOU DID.

AND IT DIDN'T WORK.

CITY HALL.

OH, GREMLINS WERE HERE.

DO WE HAVE COMMISSIONER BARNS ON THE PHONE AS WELL? DID HE STAY ON THE LINE? DAVID TECH? I'M LOOKING AT THAT.

THANK YOU, LAURA.

THANK YOU FOR THAT LOVELY PRESENTATION.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

NICE WORK.

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO IS I CAN SEE YOU IN HERE.

YEAH, YEAH.

I HAVE A COMMENT AT ESSENCE OR THE OTHERS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS AREN'T HERE OR AREN'T ABLE TO, UM, SPEAK THEM.

UH, MY COMMENT IS I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I CORRECTLY AND IS THAT WHEN, UH, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION STARTED THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, THE ARTS COMMISSION AND STAFF COMMITTED TO, UH, LEADING WITH RACIAL EQUITY, RIGHT.

UH, AND I KNOW THAT LEADING WITH RACIAL EQUITY IS CAUSING SOME, SOME, SOME FRICTION IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, BUT LEADING WITH RACIAL EQUITY DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE NOT CONSIDERING THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF THAT.

WE'RE NOT DISMISSING THE OTHER GROUPS.

UM, AND SO WHAT I SAW IN THIS PRESENTATION WAS THAT WE STARTED WITH THAT.

WE KNEW THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH THAT IN TERMS OF THE REVIEW PROCESS.

HERE COMES COVID, HERE COMES SOME EMERGENCY GRANTS THAT WE NEED TO GET OUT.

YOU'RE APPLYING THAT TO THESE EMERGENCY GRANTS, THE THINGS THAT YOU WERE THAT STAFF WAS CONSIDERING FOR OUR CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS, APPLYING THEM TO THESE EMERGENCY GRANTS, AND I'M EXPECTING THAT THOSE LESSONS LEARNED AND WHAT YOU PUT INTO PLACE WITH THESE EMERGENCY GRANTS IS WHAT WE EXPECT TO SEE WITH THE FUNDING PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED.

IS DOES THAT MAKE SENSE THAT THAT LOOP, THAT FLOW, THAT NARRATIVE FLOW IN THE M I, MY UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY TO ME, TO ME, YES.

UM, AND I'M, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WAS A QUESTION POSED TOWARD ME OR TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSION, BUT, BUT YES.

UM, AS, AS SOME OF YOU MIGHT KNOW, I STARTED OUT ON THE CULTURAL FUNDING FUNDING, UM, TEAM, AND I, AND I WAS PART OF THE ORIGINAL, UH, WORK DONE WITH MARGIE AND HER TEAM BACK WHEN SHE STARTED IN 20 18, 20 19.

AND SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE, HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LEADING OUR IMPROVEMENTS AS WE DEVELOP ANY NEW PROGRAMS, BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO RESPOND TO THE COMMUNITY.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO RESPOND TO OUR, OUR GOALS OF LEADING WITH RACIAL EQUITY, LIKE YOU SAID, UM, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.

AND SO AS WE'VE MOVED ALONG THIS REVIEW, UM, THE RELIEF GRANTS, WE'VE, WE'VE KIND OF CHANGED THEM AND IMPROVED THEM WITH EACH ONE THAT WE'VE STOOD UP.

UM, YOU KNOW, FROM THE FIRST ROUND OF NON-PROFIT TO THIS ROUND OF ARTS AND CULTURE NONPROFITS, WE'VE MADE HUGE CHANGES IN BOTH HOW WE ARE LEADING WITH EQUITY, HOW WE'RE, WE'RE SCORING THINGS, HOW WE'RE SIMPLIFYING THINGS.

AND IT'S, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN OR FOR THE REST OF STAFF, BUT IT'S, IT'S MY HOPE THAT, THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS AND THESE RESULTS WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE THIS WORK FORWARD.

I ASK A QUESTION FOR CLARITY, BECAUSE ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE HEARING A GREAT DEAL IS, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN THAT PERHAPS, UM, A DEFINITION OF RACIAL EQUITY HAS NOT BEEN CLEARLY IDENTIFIED OR ARTICULATED BY THE CITY OR BY THIS COMMISSION.

CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT DEFINITION AND WHERE THAT CAME FROM? I WOULD LOVE TO, AS I AM PULLING IT UP RIGHT NOW, IT'S ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.

I KNOW THAT, UM, I'M PRETTY SURE THERE'S COMMISSIONED, AND I KNOW THE AIPP PANEL.

THEY ALSO HAVE AN EQUITY STATEMENT THAT THEY WORK TOWARD.

UM, LET ME, I MEAN, THE GIST OF IT AND APOLOGIES THAT I'M NOT PULLING UP THE EXACT LANGUAGE, BUT THE GIST OF IT

[01:25:01]

UM, AND, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DATA ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE THAT TALKS ABOUT INSTITUTIONAL RACISM AND IMPLICIT BIAS AND HOW IT HAS IMPACTED, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL SORTS OF CITY FUNDING STRUCTURES AND CITY STRUCTURES IN GENERAL.

UM, AND SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT UNDOING RACIAL INEQUALITIES IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TOWARD REALLY QUICKLY OR NOT QUICKLY, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON.

AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A, A CONTINUUM, RIGHT? THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT LIKE, OH, WE DID ONE PROGRAM, WE FIXED IT.

WE NOW HAVE RACIAL EQUITY IN THE CITY.

THAT'S NOT THE GOAL.

THE GOAL IS FOR IT TO BE, UM, A CONVERSATION AND THAT WE ARE STRIVING TOWARD THESE GOALS.

UM, THE, THE EXACT, UM, UH, STATEMENT THAT WE HAVE IS THAT THE CITY RECOGNIZES THAT RACE IS THE PRIMARY OF SOCIAL EQUITY.

AND THEREFORE WE BEGIN THE JOURNEY TOWARDS SOCIAL EQUITY.

WITH THIS DEFINITION, THE CITY OF AUSTIN RECOGNIZES HISTORICAL AND STRUCTURAL DISPARITIES AND A NEED FOR ALLEVIATION OF THESE WRONGS BY CRITICALLY TRANSFORMING ITS INSTITUTIONS AND CREATING A CULTURE OF EQUITY.

SO THAT IS, THAT IS WHERE THE CITY STANDS ON THAT.

AND, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THESE PROGRAMS, THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE A GUIDING FACTOR IN EVERYTHING WE DO.

THANK YOU, MEGAN, DID YOU HAVE, UM, OH, CAN I, CAN I LET LULU ANSWER REAL QUICK BEFORE COMMISSIONER FLORES? CAN YOU BE HEARD NOW? NO.

OH, CITY HALL.

CAN YOU HELP US? LOU, I HAVE SENT YOU THE CALL-IN INFORMATION.

GOT YOU.

I'M GOING TO LOOK FOR THE VOLUME IT, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY, MEGHAN.

WE'LL WE'LL, WE'LL GET TO YOU AND YOU STILL HAVE SECOND.

UH, I'M SORRY.

HOLD ON.

LET ME JUST WORKING WHILE YOU'RE WORKING ON IT.

LULU, I'M GOING TO LET MEGAN CHIME IN.

IS THAT OKAY? AND I'LL COME BACK TO YOU.

UM, I, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD.

I THINK LAURA GAVE A REALLY GOOD SUMMARY OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF, UM, OPERATIONALIZING, THE CITY'S APPROACH TO EQUITY AND USING THE DEFINITION THAT SHE MENTIONED, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW, HOW WE INTERPRET THAT OR HOW IT'S FIGURING INTO OUR WORK.

NO, I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT OUT THERE.

UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? CAN YOU HEAR ME, MICHELLE? I CAN HEAR YOU.

HOW DO YOU, ARE YOU OKAY WITH LETTING HER GO AND THEN WE'LL CIRCLE BACK.

THAT ANSWERS THAT QUESTION SO THAT I UNDERSTAND NOW WHY IT'S IF MY 22 AND REMIND ME, CAUSE I WAS WATCHING CITY COUNCIL, BUT MY BRAIN IS A LITTLE BIT MUSHY AND DOESN'T HOLD AS MUCH INFORMATION FROM FOUR DAYS, FIVE DAYS AGO OR WHATEVER IT WAS, UH, THE 500,000 WAS FROM TAKING IT FROM HOT AND PUTTING IT IN.

COMMISSIONER FLORES.

UM, NOW I CAN'T START MY VIDEO.

SO SORRY ABOUT THAT.

UM, I HAD TO REJOIN ON ANOTHER BROWSER BECAUSE THE OTHER BROWSER THAT MY CITY EMAILS ON IS NO GOOD.

AND FOR SOME THERE I AM.

CAN YOU STILL HEAR ME? YES.

YOU KNOW, UH, NOW THAT YOU BROUGHT UP THE QUESTION ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY, I'M GOING TO MAKE THE SAME COMMENT THAT I BELIEVE IT'S RACIAL AND ETHNIC EQUITY, BECAUSE NOT ALL MINORITIES ARE NECESSARILY RACIAL MINORITIES.

THEY ARE ETHNIC MINORITIES LIKE HISPANICS.

UH, SO I JUST WANT TO KEEP DRILLING THAT POINT.

UH, I KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT BEING EXCLUDED BASED ON THE DEFINITIONS, BUT I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THIS IS ALSO RACIAL AND ETHNIC.

I MIGHT, IF OUR GOOD FRIEND REBECCA WAS HERE, SHE WOULD SAY THE ROMA ARE AN ETHNIC MINORITY AND ARE VERY DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF ROOM IN AUSTIN.

HOWEVER, UH, THEY'RE JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE.

SO MAYBE I'M BEATING A DEAD HORSE AS IT WERE, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THAT.

BUT MY ORIGINAL QUESTION WAS, AND I, YOU CAN COME BACK TO ME BECAUSE IT WAS ABOUT THE FUNDING.

I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR WHEN SHE SAID THAT THE, THAT THE EXTRA 1 BILLION COULD NOT COME IN BECAUSE OF THE FISCAL YEAR, BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE NEW BUDGET, BUT ARE THOSE FUNDS ARPA? ARE THEY GENERAL REVENUE FUNDS THE 1 MILLION? WHERE DID, UH, RE UH, CONSOLE WOMAN ALTAR GET THAT MONEY FROM? BECAUSE IT'S ARPA.

WHY NOT VIEWS NOW? IS IT STILL NO VIA HAUTE RAB? IT'S NOT ARPA.

IT'S $1 MILLION FROM THE BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVE FUND.

OKAY, GREAT.

[01:30:01]

OR WHERE WAS THAT FROM? I DON'T REMEMBER AGAIN, SYNOVIA HAUTE RABBI.

SO WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT WAS FORMED, THEY, THERE WAS SEED FUNDING PROVIDED TO THEM AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO PAY THAT BACK OVER TIME.

SO THE HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IS COMING FROM THAT, UH, PAYMENT FROM DSD BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.

SO AGAIN, THAT'S NOT OKAY.

NOW IT'S NON HOT FUNDS.

THEY WANTED A RECOMMENDATION FROM US TO SEE IF WE SHOULD AND WE SHOULD ADD THAT OR NOT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU, MR. SMALL BAG.

HI.

YEAH, THANK YOU.

NOVIA GET YOUR INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, I GUESS, WELL, YES, IF CITY HALL COULD BRING UP MY PRESENTATION AND I'LL TRY TO GO THROUGH QUICKLY, CAN YOU HEAR ME?

UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION, THE, THE DATA SNAPSHOTS ABOUT LIKE REALLY GAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF A CLEARER PICTURE THAN I HAD COMING INTO THIS MEETING ABOUT THE MAKEUP OF OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE, THE BREAKDOWN OF ELIGIBILITY.

IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL.

I WAS WONDERING HOW THE CRITERIA, THE SCORING CRITERIA THAT Y'ALL USED TO ARRIVE AT, UM, THE TOP 100 COMPARES TO THE SCORING CRITERIA OR THE, THE, UM, YEAH, THE CRITERIA THAT'S BEEN, UM, SUGGESTED FOR THE, UH, CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

UH, MEGAN MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THIS A LITTLE BIT, UH, STRONGER THAN I CAN AT THE MOMENT.

UM, CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE, THERE WERE PARALLEL TRAINS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME.

AND I THINK SINCE WE'RE STILL IN THE LISTENING AND KIND OF REVIVING THINGS AND SEEING WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO LAND FOR CULTURAL FUNDING, I THINK THERE'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO CHANGE SOME OF THOSE, UM, THOSE SCORING QUESTIONS.

SO MEGAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SURE.

WE, UM, WE COMPARE NOTES ALL THE TIME, THE, WHAT WE CALL THE, UM, THE RELIEF TEAM AND THE TEAM 21 TEAM WITHIN ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THEN THE CULTURAL FUNDING, WHICH WE CALL THE HOT BRAIN TRUST.

THERE'S ALL KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS GOING BACK AND FORTH ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE IT IS SORT OF A REFLEXIVE CONVERSATION.

WE, YOU, YOU CAN'T DISCUSS THE FUTURE UNLESS, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT AN IMMEDIATE SOLUTION.

UH, AND WE VIEW THE ARBA FUNDING AND THE CARES FUNDING THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS IMMEDIATE RELIEF FUNDING.

UM, AND WE LOOK AT OUR HOT FUNDS AS CONTINUED SUSTAINABLE FUNDING FOR THE FUTURE.

UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S AN IMMEDIATE NEED AND A LONG-TERM NEED, SO IT'S A YES AND A AND W BUT THERE IS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN GRANTS AND CONTRACTS FOR SERVICE THAT WE ARE MAKING WITHIN THOSE TWO PROGRAMS. SO WE'RE SHARING AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN TO LEARN FROM THE SUCCESSES AND THE, AND THE WAY THAT WE CAN REALLY HONE IN ON THE EQUITY CONVERSATION WITH THE RELIEF, SO THAT IT BETTER INFORMS OUR LONGER TERM PROGRAMS THAT WE KNOW WILL, UM, HAVE THE ABILITY TO SUSTAIN OUR COMMUNITY BEYOND JUST, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT YEAR OR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, UM, WHAT, WHATEVER KIND OF TRAJECTORY WE CAN ACHIEVE WITH THOSE TIMES.

SO THAT'S, LONG-WINDED ANSWER, BUT YES, WE ARE, WE'RE IN CONVERSATION WE'RE USING AS MUCH AS WE CAN, BUT IT HAS TO BE, UH, TAILORED CORRECTLY FOR THE PROGRAM USE.

AND I DON'T THINK I SAW THE DECK AND BACKUP, BUT CAN WE ALL GET, WE CAN GET COPIES OF THAT.

THAT'D BE GREAT.

AND WE JUST UPLOADED, UH, THE PRESENTATIONS FOR TONIGHT TO THE BACKUP.

SO WE DO ALL OF THAT.

TERRIFIC.

THANK YOU, ANN MARIE, UH, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO AND THEN COMMISSIONER SMALL BUCK.

UH, I'M LOOKING AT THE TIME AND I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT IT.

SO I'M CURIOUS IF WE NEED A MOTION TO MOVE UP, UH, AGENDA ITEM FIVE B, IS THAT ONE OR TWO, UM, TO NOW, SO THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT BUSINESS OR HOW, HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT THAT? UH, TWO, I WOULD LIKE, UH, UH, SYNOVIA TO BE ABLE TO MAKE HER PRESENTATION.

CAUSE I THINK THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL.

CAN WE STILL

[4.c. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Update - Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, Economic Development Department]

[01:35:12]

THANK YOU AGAIN.

UH, COMMISSIONERS HERE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE CULTURE ARTS FUND AND THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT UPDATE.

NEXT SLIDE AS EVERY MONTH.

I ALWAYS BRING YOU AN UPDATE OF THE COLLECTION FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

SO AS YOU REMEMBER OR RECALL IN MAY, THERE WERE VERY LITTLE COLLECTIONS IN JULY.

THANKFULLY WE HAVE COLLECTED A $1.8 MILLION AND I WAS JUST, UM, CONFIRMED THAT IT IS A COLLECTION OF A COUPLE OF MONTHS BECAUSE THERE WAS A LAG.

SO A HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CAME IN A LITTLE HIGHER, BUT AGAIN, IT WAS BECAUSE OF LAG COLLECTIONS.

AND HERE'S THE CULTURAL ARTS, UH, FUND SUMMARY AS PRESENTED IN THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET, AS YOU ALL MAY RECALL, BASED ON THE CONVERSATION LAST WEEK, STAFF WAS RECOMMENDING THAT WE SPEND A PORTION OF THE ESTIMATED COLLECTION, AND I JUST WANT TO KEEP REPEATING THAT, THAT, THAT 6.6 IS AN ESTIMATE.

IT IS NOT CASH IN HAND.

AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WE, UM, ARE, UH, ON TRACK TO END THE YEAR WITH A NEGATIVE BALANCE OF 3.5 WITHIN THE CITY MANAGERS APPROVED BUDGET.

NOW 4.8 IS COMING IN FROM THE BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVE FUND TO HELP CLOSE THAT GAP.

AND THEN WE WOULD SPEND THAT BALANCE AND A PORTION OF THE ESTIMATED AGAIN, ESTIMATED HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX THAT WOULD COME IN NEXT YEAR, WHICH WOULD LEAVE US WITH A BALANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 4.2, BUT THAT IS CONTINGENT UPON 100% RECEIPT OF THE ESTIMATE.

WHY DID WE PROPOSE THAT? BECAUSE WE WANT TO PIVOT OF SPENDING ACTUAL VERSUS ESTIMATE.

AND SO AGAIN, I LIKE TO SAY 6.6 IS AN ESTIMATE IS NOT CASH IN HAND AND GIVEN WHERE WE ARE, UH, IN THE CURRENT COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, UH, I WOULD, UM, PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY.

THAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION.

SO WHAT I'VE BROUGHT TO YOU TODAY IS ASKING THE ARTS COMMISSION TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED BUDGET AS PRESENTED IN THE CITY MANAGERS BUDGET PROPOSAL.

IF THE CURRENT YEAR ESTIMATE THAT'S THIS YEAR, IF RECEIPTS COME IN HIGHER THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT, THEN I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND A MID-YEAR BUDGET AMENDMENT TO TAKE SOME OF THOSE ACTUAL RECEIPTS TO USE FOR FUTURE PROGRAMMING THAT COULD BE DISCUSSED AT A LATER DATE.

AND I WOULD ASK THE ARTS COMMISSION TO CONFIRM THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROCEED WITH USING ACTUAL VERSUS ESTIMATE.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE CULTURAL ARTS? UM, NEXT SLIDE.

WHEN YOU SAY MINDY OR CORRECTION TO SENIOR, I SAID MID-YEAR AMENDMENT MID-YEAR AMENDMENT.

COULD BE ADDED IN TO THE BOTTOM LINE THAT WE WOULD BE GIVING OUT FOR FYI 22.

AND THEN IF, IF, AND I KNOW IT'S A BIG GIFT, MORE MONEY WHERE CAME IN THEN WAS PROJECTED, UH, HOW WOULD THE AMENDMENT WORK AND HOW, WHEN WOULD WE BE ABLE TO ADD MONEY WHEN WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE SUBSEQUENT YEAR, ASSUMING THAT AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, UH, THE GUIDELINES HAVE ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED AND APPLICATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN, UH, DONE, OR WOULD THIS BE PRIOR TO THAT? THE GOAL WOULD BE TO BRING A BUDGET AMENDMENT EITHER LATE OCTOBER OR EARLY NOVEMBER, BECAUSE BY, AND I'M GOING TO GET TECHNICAL.

THE CITY GOES THROUGH THREE CLOSINGS.

SO BY CLOSE TO, I WILL HAVE, UH, A GRA, UH, PROBABLY 99% OF THE ACTUAL NUMBER THAT I CAN PROVIDE AT THE OCTOBER MEETING.

SO WE WILL HAVE THAT NUMBER TO BRING FORWARD, AND THAT SHOULD GIVE US TIME FOR, UM, FUTURE PROGRAMMING.

SO THAT WOULD BE, AS THE GUIDELINES WERE PROJECTING THAT THEY, THAT THE APPLICATION WOULD HAPPENED MAYBE IN DECEMBER, SO THAT MONEY

[01:40:01]

CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.

SO, AS, AGAIN, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, AS PART OF THE BUDGET RIDER, THERE WAS A PROPOSAL OF POSSIBLE USE OF A HALF MILLION DOLLAR ONE-TIME FUND.

AND STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT WE ADD THE ONE-TIME FUNDS TO THE AUSTIN ARTS AND NON-PROFIT RELIEF GRANT.

AND THESE ARE JUST SOME STATISTICS THAT LAURA HAS ALREADY MENTIONED, THE HALF MILLION DOLLARS CAUSE SERVE UP TO 25 ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH WOULD THEN LEAVE APPROXIMATELY 21 THAT WOULD NOT RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE ENTIRE ELIGIBLE POOL.

SO THAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF ASKING THE ARTS COMMISSION TO AFFIRM STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION FLORES.

UH, ARE YOU, THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO I WOULD LIKE, SINCE THIS YOU'VE ADVISED ME OF, THIS IS NOT, THIS IS MONEY COMING FROM ELSEWHERE, NOT THE, AND NOT THE, ANY, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF STAFF ON THE 500,000 MR. FLORES.

I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL ON STAFF BRIEFING.

SO LET'S GO, WE HAVEN'T MOVED THE AGENDA, FINISH HER PRESENTATION.

AND THEN YEAH, WE HAVE SEVERAL ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS ALL THAT MOTION.

THEN HOLD, HOLD THAT THOUGHT COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.

DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THE COMMISSIONER FLORES HAD HER HAND UP.

THERE ARE $6 MILLION AVAILABLE.

I'M JUST LIKE TRYING TO SCROLL AND LIKE RIGHT.

IF STAFF, IF A CITY HALL COULD BRING BACK THE AID.

JUST ONE MORE QUICK SLIDE.

I PROMISE.

THANK YOU GUYS.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE COUNSEL ALSO ASKS THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION, UH, PROVIDE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF THE $6 MILLION ART, NOT THIS IS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN EXPENDING THAT WAS APPROVED.

AND AS I JUST WANT TO THANK STAFF, UH, PUBLICLY, BECAUSE STAFF HAS BEEN DOING A VERY HEAVY LIFT, NOT ONLY DOING REGULAR PROGRAMMING, BUT ALSO, UH, EMERGENCY.

AND SO I WANT TO THANK THE ENTIRE STAFF BECAUSE WHEN STAFF STEP OFFER SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS, OTHER STAFF PICKS UP THE DUTIES, FABULOUS WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK THEM.

SO WHAT HAVE WE HEARD? UH, THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY NEEDS CASH IN HAND.

NOW VENUES ARE HURTING.

WHAT DO WE KNOW? CREATIVE WORKER RELIEF PROGRAM WAS OVERSUBSCRIBED.

THE ARTS AND CULTURAL NONPROFIT PROGRAM WAS OVERSUBSCRIBED.

SO ONE REQUEST THAT WE WOULD HAVE IS THAT PART OF YOUR DELIBERATION, IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER FUNDING THE REMAINING 21 VENUES THAT QUALIFIED AS PART OF THE AUSTIN'S ARTS AND CULTURAL NON-PROFIT RELIEF.

SO ALL 196 WILL BE FUNDED, AND THAT WOULD LEAVE APPROXIMATELY 5.5 FOR YOU TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON TONIGHT.

THUS ENDS MY PRESENTATION AGAIN WITH THE THREE AS A PINING ON THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND, THE HALF MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE BUDGET, FROM THE GENERAL FUND, THE REPAYMENT FROM DSD, AND THEN A PORTION OF THE ARPA FUNDS TO BE USED TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE REMAINING 21 APPLICANTS.

I BELIEVE THAT'S IT.

AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU CHAIR.

THE NON-PROFITS RELIEF GRANT.

AND I THINK NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO MOVE FIVE UP SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.

DO I HAVE A MOTION COMMISSIONER BECAUSE DEO, I HAVE, I THINK AT LEAST TWO SECONDS FROM MARK AND ALSO LAURA'S SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

LET'S MOVE UP AND TALK ABOUT FIVE B, WHICH IS CULTURAL ARTS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS, PRESERVING THE ARTS IN AUSTIN, FUNDING, RESOURCES AND RECOVERY.

UM, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER FLORES, YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY.

UM, I WAS GOING TO GO WITH THE EASIEST FIRST, SO I WOULD LIKE TO RESTATE MY MOTION TO ACCEPT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE $500,000 TO BE UTILIZED, TO PUT INTO

[01:45:01]

SO I HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE TO TAKE THAT 500,000 FROM DSD AND PUT IT ON THE ARTS AND CULTURE.

I HAVE A S IS THAT A SECOND FROM YOU? SMALL BLACK.

WE HAVE A QUESTION QUESTION.

LET'S LET'S GET THE SECOND IN.

LET'S GET THE SECOND IN AND THEN DISCUSS.

SO SELENA IS AT A SECOND.

COMMISSIONER SMALL BUCK.

IS, IS THE, THE ASK FROM STAFF AND THE MOTION TO GO.

SO WE HAVE A TOP 100.

IS THAT TO TAKE 101 TO 126 IN ORDER OF THE EXISTING APPLICANTS LOW.

SO YOU'RE SPENDING A LITTLE BIT, DID I BREAK UP OR YOU'RE BACK? YOU WOULD DISAPPEARED FOR A MINUTE.

UM, OKAY.

YEAH, Y'ALL ALL DID TOO.

WE THOUGHT WE'RE CRAZY THAT WAY.

SO NEBIA, DO YOU WANT TO ADD, TO CLARIFY? SO AS LAURA MENTIONED, WE RECEIVED 2 MILLION TO FUND THE PURSE 100 AND RIGHT.

100 AND THEN THE $1 MILLION, UH, THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL WE'LL FUND THE NEXT 50 IN LINE.

AND THEN THAT WOULD LEAVE 20, THAT WILL LEAVE A BALANCE.

AND I'M SAYING THE NEXT 25 BEDS IN LINE WOULD BE A PAPER WITH A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.

AND THEN THAT WOULD LEAVE THE LAST 21.

AND FOR THOSE APPLICANTS, I'M SAYING TO USE A PORTION OF THE $6 MILLION FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, I BELIEVE LIKE YOU'RE ASKING, WOULD IT GO IN ORDER OF SCORE? AND THE ANSWER IS YES, YES.

SO WHAT'S THE 2 MILLION, THE 1 MILLION, AND THEN THE NEXT WOULD BE THE 500,000 AND WE'D STILL HAVE 21 APPLICANTS SITTING THERE.

AND THAT'S THE NEXT QUESTION? I HAVE A COMMISSIONER BARNES COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.

CAN I, CAN I JUST JUMP REALLY QUICKLY BECAUSE I THINK THIS CONVERSATION REGARDING THE, THE HALF A MILLION I NEED TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM.

OH YEAH.

UM, SO, UM, JUST SO THE 500,000 IS ALREADY THERE AS A PAYBACK, SO WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT.

SO THAT WOULD LEAVE IF WE'RE FUNDING THESE ORGANIZATIONS AT $20,000, THAT WOULD LEAVE $420,000 THAT WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE OUT OF THE ARPA MONEY.

SO I WOULD, UM, I GUESS, DO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT FIRST MOTION BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO APPROVE THIS MOTION TO, TO TAKE THAT THE FULL AMOUNT, THE TAKE THE DIFFERENCE TO FUND THE FULL 1 96, UM, FROM THE ARPA, IT LOOKS LIKE WHAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE IS THE FIRST PIECE, WHICH IS THE 500,000.

AND THEN WE CAN CIRCLE BACK ON THE SECOND COMMISSIONER FLORES, THEN COMMISSIONER SMITH, UM, WAIT A MINUTE.

I'M CONFUSED NOW BECAUSE THE WHOLE 1 96 SET UP THAT APPLIED AND THAT ARE ELIGIBLE THAT ARE IN ORDER.

UM, THE ONE, THE, THE MONEY COMING FROM ARPA.

SO NABI, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR YOU, CAUSE IT'S NOT RELATED TO THE 500,000, BUT NOW I'M CONFUSED BECAUSE THE, THE ORDER THAT YOU'RE SAYING, COULD YOU, THE, IF WE TOOK THAT 5.5 OUT OF THE ARPA FENCE, COULDN'T THAT BE USED FIRST? OR DO WE HAVE TO WAIT TO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AS WELL? SO I'M SEEING THEM IN ORDER OF, UM, CONSTABLE COUNCIL DIRECTIVE.

SO THE HALF MILLION WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST, THEN THE BALANCE OUT OF THE 6 MILLION HARP ARE, BUT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED.

SO YES.

SO YOU COULD TECHNICALLY LIP READ VERSE THE MONEY.

THAT ARE NEXT AND THEN THE OTHER WOULD WAIT TILL THE FILM MIX.

I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.

IF THAT'S THE COMMISSION'S DESIRE IS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO USE THAT, AREN'T THE MONEY.

THAT WAY, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WOULD HAVE TO VOTE BECAUSE BARBARA WAS ALREADY APPROVED.

AND MY QUESTION WAS JUST ON THE ORDER THAT YOU SAID THAT, BECAUSE IF WE DID, AFTER PROVING THIS APPROVED THE ARPA AS WELL, IF IT COULD BE USED FOR THE, THE NEXT 25 THAT ARE IN THE, OFF THE LIST, THEN YOU KNOW, THEN THE OTHER TWO GROUPS HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL FYI THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR .

SO I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE ORDER OF THE APPLICANTS.

I THINK IF WE WERE TO APPROVE THE ARPA MONEY COMING IN, THAT WOULD GO TO THE FIRST 25 AND THEN THE OTHERS WOULD GO TO THE SUBSEQUENT BATTERY IN LINE IN ORDER TO 21 OF THEM NOT TWENTY-FIVE BECAUSE GO TO 21, THE FIRST 21

[01:50:01]

SO THAT'S JUST THE FLIPPING THE ORDER.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES.

AND JUST, LET ME ALSO ARTICULATE THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING NEW FOR US.

THIS IS, UH, OCCURRED, UH, THROUGH THE SMALL BUSINESS GRANT.

WE HAD, UM, A TRAUNCH OF FUNDS.

THEN WE BROUGHT IN CDBG AND HAD TO WAIT SOME TIME.

SO IT'S NOT UNUSUAL.

WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE.

UM, JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.

SO MY ORIGINAL MOTION STILL STANDS BECAUSE IT'S FOR THE 500 K THAT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT TILL I FLIGHT 22.

THAT WAS FROM THE PAYBACK, CORRECT? CORRECT.

THAT'S THE MOTION ON THE TABLE AND UNDER DISCUSSION AND COMMISSIONER SMALL BACK, I THINK, HAD SOMETHING TO DO.

YOU COULD WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION AND WE COULD MAKE ONE MOTION THAT CAPSULIZES EVERYTHING.

WELL, I DON'T KNOW.

DO PEOPLE WANT TO DIVIDE THE QUESTION? I THINK WE WANT TO DIVIDE THE QUESTION.

I THINK FOR CLARITY FOR EVERYBODY WATCHING TOO, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

I JUST WANT TO, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A QUESTION OR A COMMENT OR SOME COMBINATION OF THE TWO, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS DISCUSSION IS ABOUT TRYING TO FUND ALL 190 THROUGH DIFFERENT SOURCES, 196 ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS THAT APPLIED, WHICH I THINK IS NOBLE.

AND BASED ON THE DATA THAT WE WERE JUST SHARING ON THIS GRADE EIGHT BREAKDOWN DATA, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LEADING WITH RACIAL EQUITY.

AND YET WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GIVING EVERYBODY THE SAME AMOUNT, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY HAVE ZERO THERE.

IF I DID THE MATH, RIGHT, THERE'S 47 ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS WITH NOT A SINGLE PERSON OF COLOR ON THEIR BOARD AND 21 WITH NOT A SINGLE WOMAN OR NONBINARY PERSON ON THEIR BOARD.

AND I JUST WANT TO THROW OUT THAT I DON'T, IF WE'RE SAYING WE'RE, I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EMERGENCY FUND AND MAYBE THIS QUESTION IS MORE APROPOS TO OUR LONGER TERM CHANGES TO CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING, BUT I, DON'T SOMETHING DOESN'T SIT RIGHT WITH ME ABOUT THAT.

I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN.

HOW CAN WE TURN LOCK AND THEN COMMISSIONER AND GRAY? I AGREE.

I AGREE WITH MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER.

SO WHAT INCENTIVE ARE WE GIVING? YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ARE COMMITTED TO WORK THROUGH THIS EQUITY LENS AND THEN WITH THIS FUNDING, WE, WE DON'T DIFFERENTIATE, YOU KNOW, THEN, UM, HOW, HOW DO WE CARRY ON OUR PRACTICE? NO, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION, BUT, UH, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT SOLUTION WE HAVE.

I, I'M STILL AT 190, 6 OF THEM DESERVE TO BE FUNDED, BUT THEN HOW, HOW DOES IT APPLY OUR PRACTICE INTO GIVING PEOPLE THE INCENTIVE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO DIVERSIFY THEIR BOARD, TO DIVERSIFY, YOU KNOW, UM, THE LEADERSHIP AND ALL OF THAT.

SURE.

GREAT.

I THOUGHT YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP.

I DID.

UM, I AGREE.

I AGREE WITH BOTH POINTS.

UM, COMMISSIONER MOCK AND COMMISSIONER, UM, UH, YES, BOTH BEFORE ME.

UM, I'M ALSO CURIOUS, JUST AS FAR AS INFORMATION FOR US, HOW MANY OF THESE APPLICANTS ARE CURRENT, UH, CONTRACTORS RELATIVE TO THE, UM, UM, EMERGENCY AND SURVIVAL SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW? I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I BELIEVE IT'S 83% OF THE APPLICANTS.

I MAY HAVE MISSED THAT.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT YET.

BUT IF IT'S TIED, THEN WE SHOULD CONSIDER IT.

UM, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.

AND MY, I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION TO STAFF ABOUT HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO USE THE SAME CRITERIA AND JUST THROW OUT ANOTHER ABBREVIATED APPLICATION PERIOD FOR THE, UH, FOR FOLKS TO REAPPLY IN THE EVENT THAT THERE ARE SOME, UH, GROUPS THAT ARE, UH, MORE ETHNICALLY DIVERSE THAT FAIL TO MEET THE GUIDELINE AND WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.

AND THAT WOULD CHANGE THE MIX.

CAUSE I, I, I HEAR THAT WAS A GOOD CATCH ON COMMISSIONER, SMALL BACKGROUND AND AMY AND I AGREE THAT DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THE WAIT, I GUESS THE IDEA WAS, GET THIS MONEY OUT THE DOOR QUICKLY, BUT IN HINDSIGHT IT APPEARED.

I, NOT THAT I'M OPPOSED TO MY EMOTION WAS TO PUT THE MONEY IN NOT HOW IT WAS GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTED,

[01:55:01]

BUT IF IT'S NOT TIED, THEN I CAN WITHDRAW MY MOTION AND MAKE A NEW MOTION TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD DO A NEW APPLICATION PROCESS.

CAN I HEAR FROM THE STAFF PLEASE? KINDA THE RESPONSE.

CAN I WEIGH IN REAL QUICK WHILE I HAD A QUESTION, BUT I'M SORRY.

I DIDN'T HEAR.

THAT WAS A QUESTION FOR STAFF.

I, SORRY, GO AHEAD.

WELL, NOT QUICKLY IS THE ANSWER NOT POLITICALLY.

I MEAN, WE, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY WE'RE TRYING TO RUN TWO OR THREE PEER PARALLEL PROGRAMS. WE'RE TRYING WHEN I REGULAR PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE ENVISIONING A NEW WAY OF WHAT'S THE OCCUPANCY TAX AND NOW WE MAY HAVE TO PAUSE.

IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN FAST.

UM, IT COULD HAPPEN, BUT JUST NOT FAST, WE WOULD NEED TO GO BACK AND REORDER SOME THINGS.

AND, AND I WAS GONNA THROW IN AN ED COMMISSIONER, SMALL BUCK, THANK YOU FOR THAT OBSERVATION.

AND I ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, FROM, TO MY MIND, THESE ARE EMERGENCY FUNDS, RIGHT? THESE ARE FUNDS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO GET INTO THE HANDS OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE IN CRISIS.

MANY OF WHOM ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE PRODUCING IN SEPTEMBER AND NOW WE'RE NOT SURE.

UM, AND THE FACT THAT THE MONEY'S GOING TO BE RELEASED IN SUBSEQUENT TIME PERIODS FOR ME IS PART OF THAT BALANCE, THAT EQUITY BALANCE, SO THAT THE IMMEDIATE MONEY IS GOING TO GO OUT FIRST FOR THOSE WHO SCORED THE HIGHEST IN THAT RUBRIC.

AND THEN IF WE COME BACK AND SAY, WE WANT TO FUND THAT 21 THAT WE'RE MISSING, THOSE, THOSE GUYS WOULD DRAFT IN BEHIND THE FIRST 100 AND THEN EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD COME IN BEHIND IT.

THE OTHER THING IS SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH WOULD MAYBE NOT SCORE QUITE SO HIGH IN THE EQUITY PERCENTAGE ARE ALSO VENUES, WHICH ARE PROVIDING SUPPORT TO ORGANIZATIONS WHO MAY NOT BE NON-PROFIT, BUT WHO ALSO STILL MAY QUALIFY UNDER A DIFFERENT EQUITY LENS.

SO JUST WANT TO KEEP THE WHOLE SORT OF THE WHOLE PIECE IN MIND AS WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, COMMISSIONER FLORES, DID YOU HAVE ONE? IT COULD BE LOOKED AT AS ONE BIG TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT EVERYBODY APPLIED FOR AND THAT'S HOW IT BROKE DOWN.

AND YOU KNOW, THE MONEY JUST CAME IN PIECES, BUT THE PROGRAM WAS OUT EVERYBODY THAT SHOULD HAVE APPLIED, APPLIED, AND THAT'S HOW IT BROKE DOWN, BUT I GET YOUR POINT, BUT I ALSO DO AGREE WITH WHAT THE CHAIR IS SAYING ABOUT, UH, THE ARPA FUNDS BEING EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS AND PERHAPS HAVE THE SAME LENS, BUT IT COULD BE ADMINISTERED A LITTLE BIT THIS WAY.

IT'S LET SHOW A SMALL DOG.

YEAH, I HEAR YOU.

AND I I'LL CONCEDE THAT IT'S AN EMERGENCY AND WE NEEDED TO GET MONEY INTO PEOPLE'S HANDS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

AND THIS WILL COME UP.

I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CULTURAL EQUITY REVIEW IS LIKE, I ALMOST HAVE THE OPPOSITE POINT OR SIMILAR, BUT OPPOSITE POINT, THAT SCALING IS IMPORTANT WHEN LOOKING AT THE SCORING, THE THING THAT CAUGHT MY EYE IN THAT LAST PRESENTATION, AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO DO THE PLUG AND CHUG ON, ON OTHER OTHER REPRESENTATIONAL ISSUES THAT WE'RE SAYING WE'RE PRIORITIZING, BUT IT BOUGHT I HAVING NOT A SINGLE PERSON OF COLOR OR, OR A WOMAN OR NON-BINARY PERSON ON YOUR BOARD IS, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S A LITTLE HARSH FOR ME.

THE, FOR ME TO NOT A SINGLE PERSON NOT TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT TO 50%, BUT NOT A SINGLE PERSON.

I JUST HAVE ISSUES WITH THAT.

UM, AND THE, SORRY, UH, I, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.

AND THEN I'LL GO.

NO, AND I, MAYBE I DID THE MATH WRONG ALSO.

I'LL I'LL CONCEDE THAT ALSO IT WAS VERY FAST, BUT I GUESS I'M JUST SAYING TO BE MORE POSITIVE ABOUT IT TAKING MORE POSITIVE LENSES.

I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE TOP 100 OR TOP 150 OR TOP MORE THAN THAT WHO ARE MAKING, UH, UH, UH, WHOSE IMPACT ON, ON THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE SET FOR OURSELVES IS, SHOULD BE REWARDED AND INVESTED IN.

SO NAVEAH, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO, YES.

I'M GETTING ALL KINDS OF, UM, INFORMATION ON THE BACKSIDE.

THAT WE HAVE BEHIND THIS ONE.

JUST TODAY WE RECEIVED GUIDANCE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AROUND OUR BACK.

AND SO OUR PER REQUIREMENTS DEFINITELY HAVE A STRONG EQUITY COMPONENT.

AND SO WE WILL FOLLOW, UH, THE WILL OF, UH, THE ARTS COMMISSION, BUT JUST KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT OUR ONLY RELIEF PROGRAM.

AND SO IT'S ABOUT TIMING AND ROLLING OUT PROBABLY FIVE MORE

[02:00:01]

AND SO IF YOU'RE SAYING WE WANT TO GO BACK OUT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REEVALUATE WHERE IT WOULD FIT IN OUR DEPLOYMENT OF OTHER PROGRAMS, BUT IT COULD, YOU KNOW, JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT.

AND THEN I THINK COMMISSIONER KEATON, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP TOO, SO WE'LL GO WITH BRETT FIRST AND THEN YOU, UM, I, I JUST, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I, I THINK I'M ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE SALLY JOCKS EMAIL THAT WE SORT OF GOT BEFOREHAND AND THEN HEARING HER SPEAK.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NO REGRET, I'M STILL, I'M STILL ACCUSED, BUT THAT'S A HECK OF A CLIFFHANGER.

I KNOW.

WE'RE GOING TO GET THEM BACK.

KIMBERLY, DO YOU WANT TO CHAT REAL QUICK WHILE BRETT'S COMING BACK IN? I'M ALSO KEEPING AN EYE ON THE TIME GUYS.

WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN.

I THINK HEIDI, WHEN WE MEET, I THINK WHAT I WOULD SAY IN OUR MEETING RIGHT NOW WOULD BE, UM, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LACK OF DIVERSITY, THAT THE LACK OF DIVERSITY IN AUSTIN THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.

SO I DON'T, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY, I DON'T THINK IT'S PARP IT'S PURPOSEFUL OR HAS BEEN DONE, UM, IN A MALICIOUS WAY, BUT I THINK THAT IT SPEAKS TO THE SIX TO 7% OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN AUSTIN.

SO I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHERE SLOW NOVIA IS GOING WITH THEM AND LOOKING AT THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION THAT WE, WE VIEWED IN WHY WE DISCUSSED THIS IN OUR, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR RETREAT, WHAT OUR GOALS AND OUR INITIATIVES WOULD BE.

SO I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM.

BLACK PEOPLE ARE NOT HERE.

HISPANIC PEOPLE ARE BEING DRIVEN OUT AS WELL, ASIANS AS WELL.

SO WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT NOW IN WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT.

CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YES.

JUST MY, MY LAST STATEMENT WAS SORT OF ALONG, UM, COMMISSIONER REFINING.

I THINK ALSO MAYBE A BETTER QUESTION FOR ME WOULD BE WHAT WERE YOUR EFFORT TO RECRUIT DIVERSITY TO YOUR BOARD AND, YOU KNOW, SORRY.

UM, SO JUST SO THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE TRYING, I THINK AS SOMEBODY WHO TRIES TO RECRUIT BOARD MEMBERS AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THE SAME, UNFORTUNATELY THE SAME FOR BLACK PEOPLE IN THIS CITY THAT SERVE ON SEVEN DIFFERENT BOARDS BECAUSE THEY WILL SAY YES.

AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SO I, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALSO BE ASKING THAT QUESTION, LIKE, TELL ME THE EFFORTS, SHOW ME WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO DO THAT, OR DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU HAVE MADE A PURPOSEFUL APPROACH TO DIVERSIFY.

UM, THAT TO ME IS IMPORTANT.

UM, AS OPPOSED TO JUST SAYING, YEAH, BECAUSE THEN YOU COULD BE GETTING INTO TOKENISM.

WELL, YEAH, I'VE GOT TO GET A BLACK PERSON ON MY BOARD.

LET ME JUST GET A BLACK PERSON SO THAT I CAN BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS FUNDS.

YOU KNOW? NO, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

THAT'S, THAT'S WORSE TO ME.

LIKE, SO JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT COMMISSIONER MONICA, I KNOW YOU HAVE A QUESTION.

IT IS 7 42.

WE HAVE SOME BIG CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE STILL COMING.

SO YOU'VE GOT TWO MINUTES, ONE MINUTE VERY QUICKLY.

UM, SO MAYBE BEFORE WE FUND, UM, BEFORE WE FUND THOSE WHO HAS ABSOLUTELY NO WOMEN AND NO DIVERSITY IN THEIR BOAT BEFORE WE AGREE TO FUND THEM, I THINK THEY SHOULD JUST ASK THEM THAT QUESTION, THAT JUST COMMISSIONER BRONCH'S ASS.

WHAT KIND OF EFFORT ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BOARD AND YOUR STAFF? I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO HEAR THAT THEY GOT OUR MESSAGE.

EACH ONE OF THEM WILL HAVE AN EQUITY COMPONENT.

AND SO I WILL, I WILL, I WILL CLOSE THIS BY SAYING YES, ABSOLUTELY.

I HEAR YOU.

THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WAS LAUNCHED ALREADY.

IT WAS LAUNCHED IN JULY.

IT CLOSED AUGUST 2ND.

UM, AND, AND AGAIN, FOR ME, I KNOW I'M HEARING FROM EVERYBODY IN THE, OR LIKE IN THE COMMUNITY, LOTS OF NONPROFITS WHO ARE IN TROUBLE, WHO WERE TO KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN.

UM, AND I THINK THE FACT THAT THE CRITERIA HAS LISTED IN ORDER OF LIKE, UH, OF MEETING THOSE GUIDELINES, WHO GETS FUNDED FIRST, I THINK THAT GOES A LONG WAY TO SOLVE THIS, BUT I THINK WE WANT, WE HEAR PEOPLE NEED MONEY.

WE NEED TO GET IT OUT THE DOOR, THE PROGRAM ALREADY EXISTS.

WE HAVE TWO MORE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT ARE MONEY-RELATED COMING DOWN THE LINE.

[02:05:01]

I THINK WE'RE BUILDING ON THIS OVER TIME.

UM, AMY, TO YOUR POINT.

YES, ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK ALSO WE WANT TO BE TALKING ABOUT, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, HOW WE HELP AND SUPPORT THE EFFORTS THAT WE KNOW THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE ALREADY MAKING IN THIS FIELD, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MOVE THIS NEEDLE FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UM, AND HOW WE MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE BACK TO OUR CITY WHO HAVE LEFT BECAUSE THE SITUATION HAS BEEN SO DIRE.

UM, AND IT IS 7 44.

ARE YOU GUYS UP FOR CALLING A QUESTION HERE? UM, AHEAD, JUST, UH, I WILL, AFTER I SAY THAT, UM, UH, I LOST MY THOUGHTS THAT YOU'RE RIGHT.

I MEAN, THERE ARE, IT MAY BE THE QUESTION ALSO THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT IS A BETTER INDICATOR OF THEIR WORK IN DIVERSITY IN THE COMMUNITY VERSUS JUST WHO'S ON THEIR BOARD, BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY SKEWED QUESTION IN AND OF ITSELF BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, BRETT MENTIONED OF THE DIFFICULTY OF GETTING PEOPLE TO SERVE ON ANY BOARD, UH, WHETHER THEY HAVE ASKS, YOU KNOW, GIVE OR GET, YOU KNOW, QUOTATIONS FOR THEIR BOARD MEMBERS OR WHATEVER THE REASON IS THAT THEY'RE NOT ATTRACTING A MORE DIVERSE BOARD.

UH, BUT I THINK MAYBE THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION REGARDING DIVERSITY AND WHAT, WHAT IT IS THAT THEY DO.

I MEAN, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING FOR CONSIDERATION AS WELL.

AND I'LL STOP AND I'LL CALL THE QUESTION AND YOU, I THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VOTE ON THE CALLING OF THE QUESTION IN A SECOND.

SO JUST BEING APART SECOND FOR CALLING THE QUESTION SECOND FOR CALLING THE QUESTION.

SO MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FLORES TO CALL THE QUESTION SECOND BY BRETT BARNES, ALL IN FAVOR OF CALLING THE QUESTION, ANY OPPOSED ANY ABSTENTIONS? ALL RIGHT.

WE WILL CALL THE QUESTION.

SO THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS TO TAKE THE 500,000 FROM DSD AND PUT IT INTO THE, UH, AUSTIN ARTS AND CULTURE, NONPROFIT GRANT, ALL IN FAVOR, ALL OPPOSED ANY ABSTENTIONS THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT PAGE ABSTENTION.

I THINK FOR THE RECORD I HAVE FOR THE RECORD.

UH, MR. CASTILLO IS OFF THE DIAS.

I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE, UM, THAT WE UTILIZE ARPA MONEY TO FUND THE, THE REMAINING ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS, $420,000 TO REFUND THE LAST 21.

UM, DO YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT MOTION WHERE THAT MONEY COMES IN THE MIX? UM, THAT IT WOULD, UM, WELL, UM, SO YEAH, THAT WE WOULD USE THAT MONEY FIRST TO FUND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE, UM, SINCE THAT CAN BE IMMEDIATE MONEY.

AND THEN THE, THE REMAINING ORGANIZATIONS THAT SCORE DOLORES WOULD BE FUNDED IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER FLORES TO TAKE 420 OUT OF THE $6 MILLION IN ARPA EMERGENCY FUNDING IN SUPPORT OF THE AUSTIN ARTS AND CULTURE NONPROFIT GRANT, AND TO TAKE THOSE FUNDS FIRST.

SO THEY WOULD FUND THE NEXT 21 AFTER THE FIRST 100 AND THAT MONEY WOULD GET OUT THE DOOR ASAP, ANY DISCUSSION, ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED, ANY ABSTENTIONS THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

OKAY, TERRIFIC.

NEXT, UM, THE NEXT QUESTION ON THE TABLE, I THINK IS WE HAVE, OOH, WE HAVE TWO, WE HAVE TWO BIG PIECES.

ONE IS THE ARPA FUNDING, BUT MEGAN IS GOING TO PRESENT ON THAT.

I THINK, UM, ACTUALLY MEGAN, LET'S LET YOU GO.

CAN WE DO WHAT CONDITIONS THERE WAS A THIRD STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF? I'M SORRY, LOST MY MIND.

WHILE THERE IS A STATE THAT I FORGOT WHAT IT WAS, IT WAS FOR 1 MILLION OR SOMETHING.

NO, I'M SORRY, MR. FOLLOW.

UH, I WAS GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO, TO SUPPORT, UM, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOLLOWING WHAT THEY PRESENTED.

UH, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE COULD SEE THAT SLIDE AGAIN.

BECAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT'S CAUSE THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.

IT WAS A LONG RECOMMENDATION STAFF.

CAN YOU BRING UP MY PRESENTATION TO THE FUND SUMMARY PAGE? GO BACK, GO BACK, GO BACK, COME BACK.

STOP, STOP.

OR FUTURE PROGRAMMING THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY RECEIVING FEEDBACK, OR IF, BUT CURRENT FISCAL YEAR C Y E COMES IN HIGHER, WE WOULD GO BACK FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT LATE OCTOBER, EARLY NOVEMBER TO ADD MORE MONEY TO THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

SO THEN NEXT FISCAL YEAR'S PROPOSED BUDGET.

WE'RE PROPOSING A PROGRAM REQUIREMENT OF 3.6, $8 MILLION.

3 MILLION WILL BE AVAILABLE

[02:10:01]

AND FINAL POINT OF THAT MOTION WOULD BE TO CONTINUE TOWARDS SPENDING ACTUALS VERSUS ESTIMATES.

AND MY MOTION REMAINS THE SAME TO SUPPORT THAT, THAT RECOMMENDATION ALL THREE POINTS.

AMY SECONDING, SORRY I'M TALKING.

AND THERE'S NOTHING HAPPENING CAUSE I'M ON MUTE.

UH, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO HAS MADE THE MOTION.

UH, MR. MOCK HAS SECONDED TO SUPPORT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.

UM, I HAVE A QUESTION, BUT LET ME LOOK AND SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE DOES FIRST, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER, SMALL BOT AND THEN COMMISSIONER GRAY.

IS THIS OUR, IS THIS OUR LAST OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO VOTE? MY QUESTION IS AROUND THE, WITH HO WITHHOLDING THE FOUR POINT ALMOST 4.3 TO MOVE INTO WORKING FROM ACTUALS RATHER THAN PROJECTIONS, WHICH I THINK IS THE SMART THING AND STRATEGIC THING TO DO IN THE LONG-TERM FOR, OR EVEN THE SHORT LONG-TERM THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

I DO WORRY THAT IT GIVEN ALL THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT AND THE DEMAND FOR EMERGENCY AND, AND DELTA VARIANT CHANGING EVERYTHING AND PUTTING US RIGHT BACK INTO A EMERGENCY SITUATION IS CAN, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO MAKE THIS SHIFT OVER A COUPLE OF YEARS? AND I KNOW THAT IT HAS ALREADY BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I WONDER IF IT'S A LITTLE TONE DEAF TO HOLD BACK WHAT LOOKS LIKE HOLDING BACK 4.3 MILLION THAT SOME PORTION OF WHICH COULD BE USED TO, UH, FUND CONTRACTS WHEN WE'RE IN AN EMERGENCY AGAIN.

SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO PHASE THAT IN OVER A COUPLE OF BUDGET CYCLES.

SOUNDS LIKE YES, I WOULD, AS YOU'VE MENTIONED, GIVEN THE VARIANCE, I JUST DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL.

I JUST, I THOUGHT WE WOULD BE AT A DIFFERENT PLACE NOW AND WE'RE BACK ALMOST LIKE AT THE BEGINNING.

SO I JUST DON'T WANT TO JEOPARDIZE PUTTING US IN THE SAME POSITION WHERE WE ARE THIS YEAR.

THAT IS MY, THAT IS MY MAIN CONCERN IS BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE WE MAY NOT HAVE THE BUDGET STABILIZATION.

WE JUST DON'T KNOW WE'RE UNDER THREE AND A HALF PERCENT CAP.

WE HAVE THINGS ON THE BALLOT, YOU JUST, IT JUST IN THIS UNKNOWN.

AND SO GIVE US THE TIME, LET'S SEE WHAT THE COLLECTIONS COME IN IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.

AND THEN WHEN I REPORT BACK IN OCTOBER, HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE GOOD NEWS AND THERE COULD BE SOME MORE, BUT RIGHT NOW I WOULD HOLD STEADY JUST BECAUSE OF THE BARRIER, BECAUSE I HEAR THERE'S A NEW, VERY COMMON AND YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.

THERE'S JUST SO HONESTLY IT'S JUST SCARY, BUT YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.

YUP.

COMMISSIONER FLORES AT THE RISK OF CONFUSING EVERYTHING.

BUT I SEE WHAT I WAS HOPING THAT WHEN THE MID-COURT THE CUR THE UPDATED CALCULATIONS COME IN OR THE ESTIMATES COME IN AND IT'S CLOSER TO ACTUAL, COULD WE, AT THAT POINT, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE HOW MUCH TO HOLD BACK AT THAT TIME RATHER THAN TO COMMIT.

I HEAR WITH A COMMISSIONER, A SMALL BANK IS SAYING, BECAUSE THERE IS THIS UPROAR IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT, WE NEED MORE MONEY NOW INTO THE CONTRACTS.

AND I HATE TO HOLD MYSELF TO AN AMOUNT UNTIL WE'RE CLOSER TO KNOWING WHAT THE ACTUALS ARE.

SO WE CAN SEE IF IN FACT WE DON'T HAVE TO HOLD THAT MUCH MORE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH TO HOLD BACK.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO IS THERE ANOTHER, THAT'S WHAT I JUST SAID.

WHEN ON OCTOBER, THE SECOND WEEK IN OCTOBER, WE WILL GO THROUGH, WHAT'S CALLED CLOSE TO AND I WILL HAVE A VERY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THE FINAL AMOUNT WILL BE FOR THE YEAR.

AND I WILL THEN BRING BACK A RECOMMENDATION ON IF, AGAIN, IF IT COMES IN BETTER WITH THE RECOMMENDED A MOUNTAIN, ADD TO THE 3.6.

CONSTANT, I'M NOT GOING TO COME BACK WITH A DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATION.

WELL, YES.

AS LONG AS WE CAN READ, VISIT THE AMOUNTS, THEN I'M OKAY WITH THE CONCEPT OF WHAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS.

I DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY BE HELD TO THE EXACT NUMBERS THAT WERE BEING PROPOSED TO TODAY.

IS THAT POSSIBLE? AGAIN, MY RECOMMENDATION, IF THE C Y E COMES IN BETTER, BUT IF IT'S

[02:15:01]

I SEE.

THAT'S FAIR.

BUT YOU, AS THE ARTS COMMISSION CAN VOTE ON A RECOMMENDATION, BUT I IS MY PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION.

I JUST WOULD NOT JUST BECAUSE OF WHERE WE ARE, THE VARIANTS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

SO APROPOS WHAT YOU JUST SAID.

SO NIVEA, SO I KNOW, I KNOW WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS.

I KNOW THE NEED IS GREAT.

I KNOW THE PANIC IS HIGH AND IT'S, IT'S ALL WARRANTED.

I GET ALL OF THAT.

UM, I ALSO KNOW THE SITUATION WE WERE IN AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS BUDGET CON THE, THE FUNDING CONVERSATION, WHICH IS WE THOUGHT WE, WE KNEW THAT WE'D MISSED PROJECTIONS BY ROUGHLY 50%.

WE WERE LOOKING AT A WHOLE AND THE NORMAL WAY OF FILLING THAT HOLE IS THROUGH HOT TAX.

SO WE WERE LOOKING EARLIER IN THIS YEAR AT POTENTIALLY HAVING LITTLE TO NO MONEY WHATSOEVER TO DISTRIBUTE TO CULTURAL CONTRACTS BECAUSE ALL OF, EVEN THE PROJECTED MONEY WAS GOING TO BE GONE.

AND WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO GIVEN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW IS SET OURSELVES UP TO BE IN THE SAME SITUATION WHEN THERE IS NO FEDERAL EMERGENCY MONEY COMING, WHEN THERE IS NOTHING, BECAUSE OUR ABILITY TO SURVIVE THAT GUYS, THIS HAS GONE ON FOR SO LONG, WE ARE BARELY HOLDING ON.

I DO NOT WANT TO SET THAT BACK UP.

THAT BEING SAID, UM, I VERY MUCH LIKE THE IDEA OF LOOKING BACK IN OCTOBER AND SEEING WHERE THE NUMBERS ARE, AND IF WE END THE YEAR BETTER THAN WE THOUGHT, UM, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE EARLY PART OF THE SUMMER WAS LOOKING GREAT, WE THOUGHT THINGS WERE GOING TO BE GOOD.

SO WE'VE GOT MAYBE SOME HIGHER NUMBERS.

THAT'S COOL.

I WOULD ALSO ENTERTAIN AT THAT POINT.

DO WE GO BACK AS PART OF THAT BUDGET ADJUSTMENT WITH COUNCIL AND SAY, HEY, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO COVER PART OF THIS? IF WE EXTEND A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD HAVE SOME COMFORT LEVEL WITH? SO THEN WE MAY BE SPLIT THE SPLIT, THE DIFFERENCE ON THAT, BUT THAT'S WHERE MY BRAIN IS, BUT THAT IS NOT THE QUESTION ON THE TABLE.

THAT IS AN IDEA.

SO NOW I'M SORRY, SELENA, JUST A REMINDER TOO, THAT WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE OVER 5.5 MILLION IN ARPA MONEY TO DECIDE HOW WE WANT TO ALLOCATE AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THAT MONEY.

SO THAT JUST IN TERMS OF THIS CONVERSATION, ONCE THIS IS DECIDED, DOESN'T MEAN THAT, THAT THAT'S IT.

WE STILL HAVE THIS GOOD CHUNK OF ARPA MONEY TO BE WORKING WITH.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE TO ACCEPT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT IN OCTOBER.

UM, AND WE HAVE A SECOND ON THAT MOTION TO AFFIRM STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION ON STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.

THANK YOU FOR CLARITY.

UM, THAT'S THE MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER CASTILLO AND WAS THIS ONE THE SECOND DID IT ACTUALLY, I THINK ACTUALLY IT WAS MOCKED AND SECOND DID IT.

AND THEN ALSO IN EVERYBODY, ANYBODY ELSE WANT A SECOND? IT WE'VE ALL SECONDED IT.

UM, PEACE.

SO ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS MR. SMALL BUCK? DID YOU VOTE IN FAVOR? OKAY.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE THAT.

AND RICK, DID I GET YOUR VOTE? OKAY.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE PASSED IT UNANIMOUSLY.

AND WE WILL MOVE ON.

SO, HEY, YOU STILL HAVE, CAN I MOVE THAT? WE APPROVE, UM, THE AIPP ITEMS I CONSENT.

I DON'T THINK WE'RE QUITE THERE YET.

WE HAVE TO BRING THAT UP.

SO WE STILL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM MEGAN CAUSE WE MOVED B ONE UP, BUT I THINK PART OF B ONE IS ALSO ARPA MONEY.

SO MY QUESTION IS, DO WE WANT TO SPLIT THE ARPA CONVERSATION AND LET MEGAN MAKE HER PRESENTATION SO THAT THEN WE CAN GET EVERYTHING ELSE OFF THE TABLE? IT IS 7 58 WEEK.

OUR PERMITTING ARPA MONEY.

THAT'S OKAY.

I I'M ACTUALLY GONNA SECOND COMMISSIONER BARNES'S MO UH, IDEAS LIKE LET'S TAKE CARE OF AIPP CAUSE WE CAN GET THAT OFF AND THEN WE CAN HAVE THE PRESENTATION BY MEGAN AND TALK MONEY.

SO I HAVE

[5.a. AIPP Discussion and Action Items]

TO MOVE IT UP.

SO MY MOTION IS TO MOVE OF FIVE, A AHEAD OF FOUR E I KNOW WE HAVE A SECOND ON, IN FAVOR.

WE'RE GOOD.

AND A SIX ON CONSENT ADMISSION TO APPROVAL AND CONSENT.

SO IT'S MOVED UP AND SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE A FIVE

[02:20:02]

WE HAVE A SECOND.

SO MARTHA SECONDS, ALL IN FAVOR.

AYE.

MICHELLE, YOU HAVE TO GIVE, YOU HAVE TO TELL THE STAFF WHO BREAKS THE MOTION AND WHO SECONDS IT, SAY IT ON THE PREVIOUS BOTTLES.

I APOLOGIZE.

WE'RE MOVING A LITTLE FAST.

SO OUR FIRST MOTION WAS TO, TO MOVE IT UP AND COMMISSIONER FLORES.

DID YOU HAVE THAT? CAN I SAY SOMETHING? YES, MA'AM.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I SO ENJOY LOOKING AT THE DESCRIPTION OF ALL THE TEMPLE PROJECT, BUT ONE THING THAT I HAVE OFFSET THAT IS FOR THE SITE IN PEAR AND HEARING IN PEAR, THEY DON'T GET TO ENJOY WHAT WE ENJOY.

AND I THINK ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT THE POEMS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO BE ON THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.

HOW HARD IS IT TO HAPPY IN REAL? AND IN, IN HEARING IN AUDIO, YOU KNOW, HOW HARD IS IT TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT WHATEVER WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO THE SIGHT AND HEARING IMPAIRED TO HAVE HE IN REAL TO HAVE BE IN AUDIO? BECAUSE I SO ENJOY READING ALL THOSE DESCRIPTIONS ABOUT THE DIFFERENT, UM, INSTALLATION.

I MEAN THE, THE, THE INSTALLMENT.

SO I JUST WANTED TO HAVE IT OUT THERE, WHATEVER PROJECT WE ARE GOING TO DO TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT THE AUDIO AND THE REAL, YOU KNOW, FROM THAT COMMUNITY CAN ENJOY IT.

WE HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND MOTION ON THE TABLE, WHICH IS TO TAKE ALL OF THESE ON CONSENT FIVE, ALL OF FIVE, A ONE AND A SECOND.

OH YEAH.

THAT COMMENT.

SO, UM, COMMISSIONER MOCK THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AND, AND COMMISSIONER, UM, GREY AND KEATON ALSO HEARD OUR CONCERNS ABOUT BOTH SIGHT IMPAIRED AS WELL AS, UM, HEARING IMPAIRED.

AND THERE WAS SOME BUDGETARY ISSUES, BUT IF THE PROJECT GOES ON TO BE A CENTRAL LIBRARY PROJECT, THEY ARE GOING TO LOOK AT MAYBE SOME OTHER OPTIONS, AS WELL AS MAYBE MAKING IT MORE AUSTIN CENTRIC CENTRIC.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD IN OUR DISCUSSIONS.

AND I LOVE THE NOTE.

THAT'S A GREAT NOTE.

IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL.

UM, SO MOTION ON THE TABLE MADE BY COMMISSIONER CASTILLO, SECONDED BY FLORES TO TAKE ALL OF THE AIPP ITEMS, WHICH WOULD BE FIVE, A ONE THROUGH SIX ON CONSENT, ALL IN FAVOR.

ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THE NEXT THING ON THE DOCKET IS THE CULTURAL FUNDING UPDATE.

SO MOVING RIGHT ALONG.

[4.e. Cultural Funding Update – Meghan Wells, Cultural Arts Division Manager]

OH, DID I JUST LOSE MEGAN HERE? I JUST WAS EVERYBODY.

OH NO, NO, IT'S ME.

MICHELLE.

WE CAN STILL HEAR YOU AND SEE YOU BACK.

AM I BACK? YOU'RE HERE.

YOU NEVER LEFT THEM.

HELLO.

WE HELD STAFF.

COULD YOU NEVER LET US KEEP GONE? HANG ON JUST A SECOND.

WE CAN KEEP TALKING BECAUSE MY WIFI IS STILL DICEY.

SO I'M GOING TO LET YOU TAKE THE ITEMS. SELENA OH, CONDITIONERS, MEGAN WILES, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.

I, UH, HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU ON OUR CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.

I HAVE THREE SLIDES, SO I WILL TRY TO GO QUICKLY, BUT I DO HAVE SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION I WANT TO COVER.

SO, UM, NEXT SLIDE.

SO I JUST WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU.

IT'S BEEN ONE WEEK SINCE WE HAVE RELEASED AND SHARED OUR PROPOSED PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR NEXUS AND THRIVE, WHICH ARE THE FIRST TWO PROGRAMS WE'RE PROPOSING TO LAUNCH WITH OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX MONEY THIS FALL.

UM, THE MAIN THING I WANT TO SAY IS WE ARE LISTENING AND WE WANT TO HEAR ALL THE THINGS.

AND WE, THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A SNIPPET OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE HEARING.

I JUST WANT TO REFLECT IT BACK SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING THE THINGS AND, AND CONSIDERING THE THINGS AND HEARING ALL THE PERSPECTIVES.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A FEW QUESTIONS SUCH AS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE'RE GETTING SUCH AS, UH, HOW CAN THE PROGRAM FUNDS BE USED? WHAT ARE THE MECHANICS IN THE SELECTION OF REVIEW PANELS AND PANELISTS? HOW'S THE SCORING AND POINTS GOING TO WORK, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO APPLICANT DEMOGRAPHICS, WHAT DOES NEXUS STAND FOR? DOESN'T STAND FOR ANYTHING.

WHAT IS THE THRIVE COHORT MODEL? WHAT DOES FISCAL SPONSORSHIP LOOK LIKE IN THE NEW PROGRAMS?

[02:25:01]

WHAT IS COMMUNITY FOCUS? AS WE'VE MENTIONED, WHO DEFINES EQUITY? WHERE DOES MY ORGANIZATION FIT INTO THESE NEW PROGRAMS? WHERE DO I, AS AN INDIVIDUAL ARTIST FIT INTO THESE NEW PROGRAMS, CAN WE APPLY FOR MORE THAN ONE PROGRAM? WHAT ARE THE DEADLINES? WILL THERE BE A LIMIT TO HOW MANY YEARS I CAN BE FUNDED? BECAUSE THESE PROGRAMS PRIORITIZE FIRST-TIME AND HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED APPLICANTS IS RACE.

THE ONLY FACTOR THAT IS CONSIDERED IN THE ELIGIBILITY OF SCORING AND MANY, MANY MORE.

UM, I WE'RE STARTING TO COMPILE, UH, KIND OF A MASTER LIST OF ALL THE QUESTIONS WE'VE GOTTEN SO FAR, WHICH INCLUDES THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE RAISED IN THE VIRTUAL WALKTHROUGH, THROUGH OUR MENTEE SLIDES AND THE VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS, THAT STAFF HAS BEEN CONDUCTED, THE GUIDED DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'RE HOSTING ON THE VARIOUS, UH, TWO PROGRAMS AND ISSUES.

UM, BUT PLEASE, YOU KNOW, KEEP IT COMING.

WE KNOW THE ARTS COMMISSION HAS BEEN, UH, HOLDING, UH, DIALOGUES AND IT'S ALL GOOD INFORMATION, AS SYLVIA SAID.

AND AS LAURA MENTIONED, WE, AS A GROUP ARE COLLECTING THIS FEEDBACK BECAUSE NOTHING IS SET IN STONE YET.

WE WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE COMMUNITY FEELS.

WE HAVE HIT THE TARGET, MAYBE ANOTHER TARGET TO CONSIDER IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING, TELL US WHY, TELL US, AND IF YOU DO LIKE SOMETHING, TELL US WHY WE HAVE PUT TWO FEEDBACK FORMS ON OUR WEBSITE AND THEY ARE INTENDED TO GET US REALLY TARGETED ANSWERS TO THE FEEDBACK.

UM, SO YOU CAN CONTACT US WITH ANY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS, BUT IT'S REALLY GETTING TO THAT, TO THE WHY AND THE HOW THAT HELPS US MOVE FORWARD PAST, UM, SOME OF THE OBSTACLES THAT WERE SOME OF THE FRICTION THAT MJR, UH, MENTIONED IN HER PRESENTATION LAST TIME TO US.

SO, UM, THAT TO SAY, I WANT TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT WIDE.

UM, I WANT TO ALSO FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SAY DATA, DATA, DATA, UM, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SOURCES THAT INFORM OUR DECISION MAKING THAT CAN EITHER BE QUALITATIVE OR QUANTITATIVE.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A SECOND AND JUST REMIND EVERYONE KIND OF WHERE WE HAVE BEEN WITH THE DATA CONVERSATION.

WE HAVE RELEASED A WHOLE LOT OF DATA, UM, IN THE PAST, AND I'M TRYING TO PUT KIND OF AGGREGATE THIS INTO A CENTRAL LOCATION.

SO IT'S A LITTLE EASIER TO FIND, CAUSE WE'VE BEEN A LITTLE PIECEMEALING IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, BUT I WANTED TO AT LEAST MENTION SOME OF THESE WE'VE, UH, WE CAN FIND THE EQUITABLE ECONOMIC RESILIENCY FRAMEWORK THAT WAS RELEASED LAST SUMMER ON OUR WEBSITE.

IT CONTAINS NATIONAL AND LOCAL DESEGREGATED DATA ON ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO OUR BI BIPAP COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

AND THIS IS THE FRAMEWORK THAT IS RECALLED.

WE BASED OUR FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FY 21 ON A IT'S STARTING TO SHIFT THE NEEDLE, UM, IN TERMS OF THE, THE MAKEUP OF OUR FUNDING PROFILE AND OUR FUNDING POOL.

WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT LOTS AND LOTS OF HISTORICAL DATA FROM OUR CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAM, INCLUDING HOW MANY CONTRACTORS ARE FUNDED AT WHAT BUDGET AND AWARD LEVELS, BOTH ON THE WHOLE HOLISTICALLY FOR THE WHOLE PROGRAM AND FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM, DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWNS AWARD REQUESTS COMPARED TO YOUR CONTRACT AWARDS, MATRIX VARIABLES, NUMBERS, AND DEMOGRAPHICS OF NEW APPLICANTS AND MANY, MANY MORE, UM, THIS HISTORICAL DATA BASE BACK PROBABLY 20, 25 YEARS.

IF WE'RE BEING HONEST ABOUT HOW MUCH WE HAVE, WE HAVE ONLY STARTED TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT COLLECTING AND AGGREGATING DATA AND DESEGREGATING IT BACK DOWN.

UM, IN THE PAST, I WOULD SAY MAYBE FIVE YEARS TO BE GENEROUS.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF HOLES THAT WE'RE FILLING IN A LOT OF HISTORICAL DATA THAT I WISH WE HAD, BUT WE ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON WHAT NUMBERS CAN START TO TELL OUR STORY BETTER.

THE CITY EQUITY OFFICE AND THE CITY OFFICE OF DESIGN AND DELIVERY HAVE DONE LOTS OF STUDIES FOR US.

WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO, UM, OUR, OUR NATIONAL GROUPS, THE GRANT MAKERS AND THE ARTS AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES THAT ARE STUDYING EQUITABLE CULTURAL PROGRAMMING AND FUNDING AND GRANT MAKING.

THEY'RE ALL THESE CITIES IN THE, IN THE NATION, INCLUDING THE PEER CITIES THAT MARGIE HAS LOOKED AT ARE STRUGGLING WITH THIS EXACT ISSUE BECAUSE TIMES HAVE CHANGED SINCE GRANTMAKING BEGAN IN OUR CULTURAL SECTOR, WE HAVE EVOLVED, OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE CHANGED.

WE WANT TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS THAT ARE UNIQUE FOR AUSTIN, BUT ALSO ARE APPLYING THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM ACROSS THE NATION.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE SOURCES FOR GUIDANCE AS WELL.

THE CONTRACTOR FEEDBACK TO STAFF AND TO MJR THAT WE'VE CAPTURED IN THE INTERIM REPORT IS A REALLY GOOD GAUGE OF WHERE WE WERE WITH THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE GOING TO BE DESEGREGATING MORE OF THAT AND SHARING IT OUT WITH YOU.

THE CONTRACTOR FEEDBACK TO CONTRACT ADMINISTRATORS WITHIN THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN A REALLY GOOD BAROMETER FOR US.

WE TAKE IT ALL VERY SERIOUSLY.

AND YOU AT THE ARTS COMMISSION, YOU'RE FUNDING WORKING GROUP OVER THE, OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS OF BEING REALLY INVOLVED WITH US WITH THE GUIDELINES HAS GIVEN US A REALLY GOOD PERSPECTIVE.

WE'VE LEARNED FROM PAST PROGRAMS AND PILOTS, AND WE CONTINUE TO BE DEDICATED TO EFFICIENCIES AND EFFECTIVENESS AND EQUITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A SECOND AND, AND MENTION ALL THOSE, THOSE POINTS OF DATA.

NEXT SLIDE, UM,

[02:30:06]

JUST BRIEFLY NEXT STEPS AND THINGS TO REMEMBER AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

SO RIGHT NOW, AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE CONTINUING TO SOLICIT AND ASSESS COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.

THROUGH THE END OF THIS MONTH, WE ARE BUILDING ON THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR, BUT AGAIN, THINGS ARE FLUID.

PLEASE LET US KNOW VIA THESE, UH, FEEDBACK FORMS, UM, HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS COME TO A MEETING WITH US, CALL US UP, EMAIL US YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

WE, WE WANT TO HEAR, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT HAD A VOICE BEFORE, PLEASE, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

UM, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOT AND ARPA ARE SEPARATE, BUT RELATED.

AS WE KIND OF MENTIONED BEFORE, WE ARE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER A UNIVERSE, A LANDSCAPE OF SUPPORT FOR THE CULTURAL COMMUNITY.

HOWEVER, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

ONE IS A ONE-TIME IMMEDIATE RELIEF EFFORT THROUGH ARPA.

AND ONE IS A LONGER TERM CONVERSATION ABOUT SUSTAINING OUR CULTURAL SECTOR IN AUSTIN.

WE KNOW THEY'RE RELATED BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME FOLKS LIVE AND BREATHE IN OUR CITY AND ARE CREATING AND PRODUCING AND SUPPORTING EACH OTHER EVERY DAY.

BUT THESE SOURCES OF FUNDING ARE LENDING THEMSELVES TO DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE DEPLOY THAT.

PLEASE, PLEASE STAY INVOLVED.

UH, GOVERNMENT SUPPORT IS LIMITED.

WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION WORKING GROUP, LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVE FUNDING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR KEEPING THAT CONVERSATION GOING.

HOWEVER, THERE WILL NEVER EVER BE ENOUGH GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO SATISFY THE NEEDS WE HAVE IN THIS COMMUNITY.

THAT'S JUST A GIVEN.

SO WE NEED TO BE CREATIVE.

WE NEED TO BE INNOVATIVE.

WE NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO OTHER SOURCES.

WE ARE IN STAGE FIVE THAT IS PLACING CONSTRAINTS ON EVENTS AND TRAVEL THAT WERE FACTORED INTO PROJECTED HOTBEDS FOR FYI 22.

WE WERE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO.

AND LIKE SYNOVIA SAID, THE NUMBERS HAVE CHANGED A LITTLE BIT.

WE HOPE TO BE IN A BETTER PLACE BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT NOBODY'S GOT A CRYSTAL BALL TO ANY GREAT EXTENT THAT WE CAN RELY ON, ON ANY PROJECTIONS GOING INTO NEXT YEAR.

SO WE REMAIN CAUTIOUSLY, OPTIMISTIC, EQUITY JOURNEYS LOOK DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE, BUT OUR GOAL IS THE SAME.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, WE ARE VERY MUCH ROOTED IN THE, IN THE DEFINITION WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TODAY, WHICH IS A RACE FORWARD EQUITY COMMITMENT.

WE KNOW THAT IT IS INTERSECTIONAL.

WE KNOW THAT IT, THAT IT IS NOT AN, UH, A SIMPLE DETERMINATION.

IT IS NUANCED.

IT IS COMPLEX, BUT WE ARE ASKING EVERYONE TO GO ON THIS JOURNEY WITH US, HAVE IT IN YOUR COMMUNITY, HAVE IT WITHIN YOURSELF, HAVE IT, LET'S HAVE IT COLLECTIVELY.

LET'S TALK TO EACH OTHER ABOUT WHAT, WHAT EQUITY DEFINITIONS WE'RE ALL USING.

AND LASTLY, TALK TO EACH OTHER.

THIS COMMUNITY IS STRONGER TOGETHER AND HAS MORE COMMON, MORE IN COMMON THAN OUR DIFFERENCES.

PLEASE SEEK OUT SOMEONE WHO HAS A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN YOURS.

THERE'S ALL KINDS OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND SHARING OF INFORMATION AND BONDS TO BE MADE.

UM, I KNOW THIS COMMUNITY IS GONNA MAKE IT OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC TOGETHER.

WE ARE RESILIENT AND STRONG, BUT IT'S ONLY THROUGH THE STRENGTH OF OUR INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS, AS, AS WE SAID EARLIER, THAT THAT PULL US UP BY OUR BOOTSTRAPS, BUT STRENGTH IS IN NUMBERS.

SO I JUST INVITE EVERYONE TO, UM, TO INITIATE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, ASK SOMEONE, TALK TO SOMEONE, TALK TO US, TALK TO EACH OTHER.

UM, AND NEXT SLIDE, I THINK THAT'S JUST, I'M JUST OPEN FOR QUESTIONS.

I'M IN AND OUT AT WHICH POINT, SALINAS.

READY TO TAKE THIS ON? SO SORRY ABOUT THAT.

UM, QUESTIONS I ACTUALLY HAVE, I HAVE ONE, YES.

I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS.

UM, QUESTION ABOUT THE TIME, TIME, LINES, AND TIMEFRAME.

SO I KNOW THAT WHEN, WHEN YOU GUYS LAUNCHED LAST WEEK, YOU HAD DATES.

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW MALLEABLE THEY ARE? AND WHAT'S THE SORT OF FALL OUT OF THE MOVING TARGET IS WE, WE PUT A TIMELINE.

UM, PEOPLE KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM AND, AND WE'RE NOT BEING PREMATURE.

AND IN OUR VIRTUAL WALKTHROUGH, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT GIVES AN INDICATION OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING, BUT AGAIN, NOT SET IN STONE.

WE WANT TO GET MONEY OUT INTO THE HANDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AS SOON AS WE ARE READY TO, IF WE GET TO A POINT WITH THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE GETTING, WHERE WE ARE CONTEMPLATING A MAJOR SHIFT IN WHAT WE'VE PROPOSED OR A NEW LAUNCHING, MORE THAN JUST THE TWO PROGRAMS OR, OR SCALING WHAT WE PROPOSED OR RE RE-EXAMINING MAJOR PORTIONS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO RUSH INTO IT.

WE WANT TO GET THIS IN A PLACE WHERE IT FEELS LIKE IT IS ADDRESSING THE MAJOR CONCERNS THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS.

SO THE TIMELINE IS, IS FLEXIBLE.

UM, KNOWING THAT I DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN IN THIS, THIS PROCESS FOR TWO YEARS AND I KNOW PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CHAMPION OF THE BIT TO GET IT, GET IT GOING.

BUT I D I DON'T WANT TO JUMP INTO SOMETHING WITHOUT FEELING LIKE IT HAS BEEN THOROUGHLY VETTED.

WE'VE GOTTEN FEEDBACK, WE'VE GOTTEN DIALOGUE UNDER OUR BELT.

WE HAVE ADDRESS CONCERNS.

[02:35:01]

SO ONE MORE THING I'LL ADD IS IN THAT INITIAL TIMELINE, WE HAD PROPOSED TO LAUNCH OUR CURRENT PRO LAUNCH THRIVE, WHICH WAS OUR FIRST PROGRAM IN EARLY LAUNCHED THE APPLICATION EARLY OCTOBER.

THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE.

THEN WE WOULD LAUNCH THE ONE FOR NEXUS IN, I THINK, JANUARY TIMEFRAME.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE FUNDING, DEPENDING ON WHERE WE ARE WITH DISCUSSIONS, ELEVATE REMAINS KIND OF A QUESTION MARK AS TO WHEN IT COULD BE, BE LAUNCHED, BUT WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT RULING OUT, MAYBE LAUNCHING IT NEXT YEAR.

UM, IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAD PROPOSED INITIALLY.

SO COMMISSIONER GRAY AND THEN COMMISSIONER SMELL, BUCK AC, I THINK YOU'RE MUTED THERE.

THANK YOU, SELENA.

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO BRING UP JUST CONCERNS WITH REGARD TO COMMISSIONERS, UM, UH, CONVERSATIONS AROUND THIS.

IF IT IS, I WILL PROCEED.

IF I CAN JUST GET A GO, I GUESS THAT'S A GO OR THE CHAIR.

UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO, I'M SORRY.

I MISSED IT.

CAUSE I'M OKAY.

I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE WAIT UNTIL DISCUSSION OF THE THAT'S WHAT YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL IN STAFF BRIEFING.

WAS THERE A SMALL BLOCK? DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? YEAH.

AND I THINK, I THINK THAT THE SUPPLIES AS GOOD TIME TO ASK, CAUSE IT IS A QUESTION FOR MEGHAN AND STAFF ABOUT THE THINKING BEHIND, UM, OPENING UP THROT NEXUS TO NEW, LIKE OPENING UP THE POOL TO THOSE WHO HAVE, WHO ARE NOT ALREADY IN THE CULTURAL CONTRACTOR'S POOL AT THIS TIME.

JUST WANTED TO HEAR A LITTLE SINCE THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE ALL HEARD ABOUT.

WHAT IS THE, WHAT LED TO THAT DECISION MAKING? SO NEXUS IS OUR PROGRAM.

THAT'S BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN OUR COMMUNITY INITIATIVES PROGRAM.

AND THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OPEN TO NEW APPLICANTS.

SO IT WOULD NOT BE A CHANGE UNLESS I'M MISUNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION.

MAYBE I'M MISUNDERSTANDING THE FOCUS, BUT IS THAT NOT, UM, THE GUIDELINES OUTLINED WHERE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED CULTURAL FUNDING IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, OR MAYBE I'M BUTCHERING THAT, BUT THERE, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT MADE IT SEEM LIKE IT WAS PRIORITIZING NEW APPLICANTS AND IF I'M, AND ARE YOU THE SCORING? NOT THE ELIGIBILITY.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

THERE'S A DISTINCTION.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT THESE PROGRAMS TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO APPLY.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO SHUT THE DOOR AND SAY YOU CAN'T APPLY.

HOWEVER, THE SCORING WILL BE THE WAY THAT WE PRIORITIZE, HOW, HOW WE SEEK A TARGET POPULATION WHO MAYBE HASN'T BEEN AT THE TABLE.

HASN'T RECEIVED FUNDS HAS COME UP IN OUR DATA AS NOT BEING, UM, NOT RECEIVING AN EQUITABLE SHARE OF OFFENDING IN THE PAST.

UM, SO THAT SCORING CRITERIA IS, IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HOW WE GEAR THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM.

UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO OPEN TO CHANGING SOME OF THE SCORING, UH, NUMBERS.

SO IF IT, IF IT FEELS TOO HEAVY, IF IT FEELS TOO LIGHT, IF IT'S CLOSING THE DOOR, UM, BUT OUR EQUITY LENS WILL STILL PRIORITIZE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED FUNDING AT ALL FROM US FLORES.

THERE MAY BE A LIMIT DOWN THE ROAD.

I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO MEGAN'S POINT IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY INITIATIVES.

SO HAVING SERVED ON A MILLION OF THOSE GUIDELINE, WORKING GROUPS AND FUNDING, WORKING GROUPS, IT'S, UH, THE SMALLER COMMUNITY OR GROUPS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE 5 0 1 C3, THEY'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND I THINK THE GUIDELINES WOULD SAY THEY HAVE TO BEEN AROUND AT LEAST A YEAR, I THINK, OR HAVE HAD.

SO THERE IS, BUT SOME OF THEM HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND THIS PROGRAM USED TO BE KIND OF AN ENTRY OR A LAUNCHING PROGRAM FOR FOLKS INTO THE FUNDING, UH, PROCESS.

AND SO I THINK, UH, WE WERE ALWAYS KIND OF HESITANT TO CLOSE OUT THOSE GROUPS THAT ARE JUST SORT OF GETTING THEIR ACT TOGETHER AND ROW AND GETTING ROLLING AND REALLY WANT TO PARTICIPATE.

SO WE ALWAYS MADE, UH, UH, GETTING NEW APPLICANTS IN THE DOOR.

UH, AND IS IT MEGAN, IS IT STILL THE SAME AS IT NOW, IF YOU'VE HAD FUNDING FOR OVER FIVE YEARS, YOU'RE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE, RIGHT.

IS THAT, OR DO THEY CHANGE IT SLIGHTLY? ACTUALLY, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THAT'S PART OF THE NEW PROGRAM OR NOT.

I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE PUTTING THAT IN, RIGHT OFF THE BAT WITH THE RADIO LIMIT.

[02:40:01]

UM, YEAH, NOT I READ IT, BUT OKAY.

YOU, YOU COULD BE RIGHT.

I'VE READ TOO MANY THINGS, BUT YEAH.

UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO DISCUSSION, I WANTED TO THANK STAFF AGAIN FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK.

UH, BUT I SPECIFICALLY WANTED TO APPLAUD, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR HOLT, RAB AT HER, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH, AT COUNCIL, UH, ON THURSDAY, UM, REMINDING THEM THAT THAT STAFF, UH, HAS BEEN DOING THEIR, THEIR DAILY WORK OF, OF ADMINISTERING CULTURAL CONTRACTS THROUGH, ON TOP OF THE, THE, THE DATA SLIDE REMINDED ME OF THIS, LIKE ALL THAT DATA THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DOING FOR, FOR THIS REVIEW PROCESS.

SO THAT'S TWO JOBS Y'ALL ARE DOING, AND THEN ALL THE EMERGENCY FUNDING THAT THEY HAVE TO DO WHEN COVID HITS.

SO, YOU KNOW, THREE JOBS THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING JUST WANTED TO SAY, THANK YOU.

AND, UH, AND APPRECIATED THAT.

I THINK THAT REMINDER WAS WELL HEARD AT COUNCIL WHEN THEY STARTED TALKING ABOUT LIKE, CAN WE FIND ADDITIONAL STAFF TO HELP HELP Y'ALL OUT? SO I JUST, IN CASE ANYBODY MISSED THAT, LIKE THE GOOD REMINDER FOR ALL OF US, HOW MUCH WORK THAT STAFF IS DOING.

I COULDN'T AGREE MORE, UH, COMMISSIONER FOR THEO AND, UH, FOR THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, THAT WOULD HAVE RECEIVED BACK UP TODAY, OR A NOTE FROM ANNE MARIE, THE CONVERSATION HAS A TIME STEP IN THAT EMAIL.

IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK AND REVIEW IT, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT.

UM, I JUST WANT TO BRING ELEVATE BACK INTO THIS CONVERSATION AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS THE AREA THAT WE'RE GETTING THE MOST CONSISTENT FEEDBACK AND FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING, HOW CAN WE BRING THAT BACK INTO THE CONVERSATION IN TERMS OF PRIORITY? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SHIFT THE NUMBERS AROUND IF WE WERE TO BRING THAT BACK OR NO, SORRY, NOT BRING IT BACK, BUT IF WE WERE TO INTRODUCE IT, UM, MORE QUICKLY JUST TO SORT OF GET IT.

I MEAN, IT WAS, IT WAS PART OF WHAT WE PROPOSED IN DECEMBER, 2020, BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE IT IS PART OF THE, PART OF THE SOLUTION THAT FITS THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM.

EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS WAS DESIGNED TO DO A CERTAIN THING.

AND SO WHEN WE WENT FROM THAT TIME PERIOD OF 2020 TO NOW, YOU KNOW, EIGHT MONTHS LATER, WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT MONETARY PLACE THAN WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE.

AND WITH $3 MILLION, WHICH WAS UP FROM 1 MILLION, SO WE'LL TAKE THREE, BUT 3 MILLION STILL DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT'S ENOUGH TO REALLY LAUNCH THREE NEW PROGRAMS, BUT IF IT IS THE WILL OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMISSION, AND WE'RE HEARING THAT IT IS IT'S A CRUCIAL COMPONENT TO LAUNCH, IT WOULD JUST MEAN SCALING THE 3 MILLION TO, TO TRY TO FIT THREE IT'S DOABLE.

UM, I JUST WOULDN'T WANT TO SHORTCHANGE THE EFFICACY AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES OF PILOTS BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM OUT QUICKLY.

UM, AS SYNOVIA MENTIONED, IF, IF, IF WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE THE BUDGET THAT OF ACTUAL FROM HOT HAS COME IN HIGHER THAN WE THINK IT WOULD ALLOW US TO THINK ABOUT MAYBE IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

UM, I KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK TIME WILL TELL THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS WHERE WE ARE, AND WE WEREN'T PLANNING TO LAUNCH THAT RIGHT AWAY ANYWAY.

SO IT WOULD PROBABLY BE IN THE SPRING THAT WE WOULD THINK ABOUT LAUNCHING THAT, WHICH WOULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF A RUNWAY, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS ON THE TABLE.

MR. CASTILLO.

I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE TIME AND I'M JUST LIKE, SHOULD WE OPEN IT UP FOR FIVE B, ONE AND TWO DISCUSSION? LIKE SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN THE TIME WE HAVE LEFT.

YEP.

YOU HEAR ME AT ALL MY IN AND OUT.

OKAY, COOL.

HI GUYS.

KEEP SPINNING AND DISAPPEARING.

PROGRAM TO, WE COULD SEE HOW IT WORKED AND HOW IT IMPACTED AND NOT HAVE IT SET IN AND SEE THAT FOR ANOTHER YEAR, AS OPPOSED TO JUST, YOU KNOW, RE-INTRODUCING IT AFTER A YEAR IT'S POSSIBLE.

SO WE HAVE A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION FOR YOU, MEGAN, IS CAN WE, CAN WE LOOK AT GIVEN THE PANDEMIC AND GIVEN THE SITUATION, CAN WE LOOK AT ELEVATING THE PRESENCE OF ELEVATE IN THIS CONVERSATION? UM, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF, UM, JUST SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER, LIKE HOW YOU MIGHT SCALE BACK ONE OR TWO OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS TO MAKE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR ELEVATE.

THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT GIVEN THE RESPONSE THAT I'M HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY.

SO, UM, COMMISSIONER FLORIDA AS, AND IT WAS JUST A QUICK QUESTION TOO.

I MEAN, I SEE THAT, UM, NEXT IS ONE YEAR THRIVE IS TWO, OR MAYBE I HAVE THE NAMES BACKWARDS CAUSE, BUT I THINK THRIVE IS A TWO YEAR ONE, RIGHT.

IS THERE A POINT TO STILL CONSIDER SINCE OUR NEW AND EVERYBODY IS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT A PILOT PROGRAM FOR A ONE YEAR? UH, IS THAT JUST BECAUSE OF THE PEER PANEL REVIEW THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR THRIVE OR IS IT, IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE IT A PILOT

[02:45:01]

I MEAN, TECHNICALLY BY THE TIME WE CONTRACT WITH THE THRIVE AWARDEES, WE'LL ONLY HAVE A YEAR AND A HALF BECAUSE WE'RE LAUNCHING LATER THAN WE USUALLY LAUNCH.

SO WE WERE LOOKING AT TWO YEARS BEING OUR FULL, THE FULL PILOT AMOUNT WITH ONE AND A HALF WHERE WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO WHAT WE WOULD BE WITH A ONE-YEAR.

UM, BUT SINCE IT HAS THAT IMPROVEMENT COMPONENT, AS WELL AS THE ARTISTIC EVENT COMPONENT, WE, WE WANTED IT TO BE A LITTLE WHILE, A LITTLE BIT LONGER TRAJECTORY OF WHEN WE WORK WITH A COHORT, WE WANT TO SEE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE HAND HOLDING A LITTLE BIT, ONE ONE-ON-ONE ONE-ON-ONE ATTENTION.

SO THAT'S WHY WE WERE HAVING IT BE A LONGER, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PROGRAM PHASE FOR THE COHORT.

BUT IT'S, IT'S POSSIBLE.

THIS IS WHEN WE WANT TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, THOSE APPEAL.

UM, SO, UH, WE HAVE CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS BAKED INTO THAT, WHICH THE COHORT MODEL FITS WELL THINK WITH, BUT YEAH, WE CAN CONSIDER IT, UM, COMMISSIONER MARGARET, AND THEN IT'S 8 25 AND I DO WANT TO TOUCH ON ARPA BEFORE WE LEAVE TONIGHT.

SO, AND OUR TIME IS SUPER SHORT.

SO COMMISSIONER MONT.

I'LL BE QUICK.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK EQUITY LENS IN JUST HAPPENED LAST YEAR.

ARE YOU BEFORE HE SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN 1964 WHEN HE PASSED THE NATIONAL HUMANITY ACT, BUT WE HAVE NOT PUT THAT ACT INTO PRACTICE FOR THE LAST 70 YEARS.

SO I THINK WE HAVE TO NOT, NOT BEING CONSUMED BY THE CRISIS.

YOU KNOW, I THINK LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT LONG-TERM IS ABOUT TAKING US TO THE PLACE WHERE I NEED TO BE, AND ALSO TO RIGHT A WRONG FOR THE PAST YEARS AND TO LOOK AT ALL THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY THAT MAKE US NOT WHOLE AS A COMMUNITY AS FOR OUR HUMANITY.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO CHALLENGE OUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO HAVE THE COURAGE AND BE BOLD TO TAKE ON A LEADERSHIP ROLE TO REALLY LOOK AT NOT JUST THE CRISIS RIGHT NOW, BUT WE HAVE BEEN IN CRISIS FOR THE PAST 70 YEARS.

IF YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE IN CRISIS IN THE PAST TWO, THREE YEARS OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT LOOK AT THE PEOPLE OF COLOR, LOOK AT ALL THOSE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.

THEY WERE IN CRISIS FOR THE PAST HUNDRED YEARS OR A COUPLE HUNDRED YEARS.

SO LET'S LOOK AT THEM AS WELL AND BE BOLD AND REALLY BE COURAGEOUS TO TAKE ON A LEADERSHIP ROLE THAT IS LONG OVERDUE.

SO I'M OKAY WITH INTRODUCING PILOT PROJECT AND MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.

AND ALSO WE HAVE THE FEDERAL FUNDING TO ADDRESS THE CRISIS.

SO THAT'S JUST MY PET PIECE.

I'M VERY COMMITTED AND PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT.

I UNDERSTAND.

SO I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO SAY THIS.

SO THE CONVERSATION ON THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS IS STILL A PROCESS.

UM, AND WHAT I AM HEARING IN THE COMMUNITY, AS I SAID, IS THAT AS THE NEED FOR SOME, SOME ALSO SUPPORT FOR THE, THE BROAD COMMUNITY AND LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN SERVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, GIVEN THE RESOURCES, ARTISTS AT OUR DISPOSAL, WHILE STILL KEEPING THE EQUITY LENS AS THE FRAMEWORK FOR HOW WE'RE DOING THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ALL AGREED AS A PRIORITY HUNDRED PERCENT.

UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL OF US AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

IT IS STILL A PROCESS.

UM, STAFF HAS JUST SAID, THAT'S GOING FORWARD THROUGH THE 31ST.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR ANYTHING THAT I'M SAYING YOU ARE GOOD, MICHELLE, KEEP GOING.

ASKED BY EVERYONE TO GET MONEY OUT THE DOOR REALLY QUICKLY.

SO AGAIN, PROCESS, BUT MY, MY CALL TO STAFF WOULD BE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SCALE AND PILOT, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PRIORITIES? AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO LOOK AT ELEVATE THRIVE AND NEXUS AND LOOK AT WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDS ON WHAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO DRAFT TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY BROADLY.

UM, THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO FLIP TO ARPA BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN

[02:50:01]

AND I KNOW THAT HAS A BIG EQUITY LENS, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF THAT ISSUE RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE SITTING AT WHAT? FI ROUGHLY 5, 5 80.

SO HOW QUICK CAN WE GET IT OUT? I DON'T KNOW.

TORI, WHERE'S YOUR THEATER? DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIME AND I KNOW THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.

AND I, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM COUNCIL WAS THAT THEY WANTED TO TAKE IT UP AT THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER.

I WAS LIKE, IS THIS A CONVERSATION THAT WE COULD A DELEGATE TO THE EMERGENCY FUNDING WORKING GROUP, JUST SO THAT IT, THAT THEY DO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM US, BUT, UH, THAT'S IT, UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES, UH, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE, OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM, YEAH, I JUST, WE NEED TO, I THINK THE SOONER WE CAN GET THIS OUT, UH, WHAT WAS THE EXACT QUESTION FROM COUNCIL I'M FORGETTING? THEY WANT TO KNOW IF WE COULD SHIFT THAT MONEY INTO BACKFILL HOT WASN'T THAT THE QUESTION THAT THEY WERE DISCUSSING? AND I WOULD RATHER THAT I WOULD THINK THAT ARPA FUNDS CAN GET OUT OUT THE DOOR FASTER THAN THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROCESS IS GOING TO TAKE.

THAT WOULD BE MY HOPE.

AND THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.

I KNOW THAT IT'S THE SAME STAFF, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT, UH, GETTING THIS MONEY OUT THE DOOR AND KEEPING THAT MONEY AS EMERGENCY RELIEF AND RESILIENCY FUNDING, AS OPPOSED TO USING IT FOR CULTURAL CONTACTING, CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT.

UH, I PERSONALLY PREFERRED IT TO SEE, GET IT OUT THE DOOR AS EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE FASTER APPROACH.

AND, UM, THAT THAT'LL GET THAT MONEY OUT THE DOOR INTO OTHER GROUPS IN A SELENA VICE-CHAIRS SYSTEM AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO TRY TO GET THAT MONEY INTO THE RIGHT HANDS AND THE RIGHT GROUPS AND WHATEVER.

AND SO THAT'S ALL, I'LL SAY DEPUTY HOLT, ROB YOU FROZEN.

DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD? I'M SORRY.

I THOUGHT I SAW YOUR HAND UP.

OH, NO, I'M JUST ELEVATING.

OH, I'M SORRY.

QUESTION GRAY.

UM, I'LL JUST AGREE WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING FUNDS OUT THE DOOR AND WE JUST, AND I JUST WANT US TO REMEMBER THAT FOR SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS, THIS IS ABOUT SURVIVAL WITH ALL THE MONIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

AND I WOULD LIKE, AND THIS MAY NOT BE THE TIME TO DO IT, BUT I'D REALLY LIKE FOR US TO THINK ABOUT A WORKING GROUP, UM, THAT REVOLVES AROUND RESOURCES AND COLLABORATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ITSELF.

THERE MAY BE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE IN A SITUATION THAT CAN HELP OTHERS.

UM, AND I KNOW OF THEM.

I KNOW OF SOME ANYWAY, AND I THINK WHEN THE COMMUNITY CAN DO THIS TOGETHER AND WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER DO THIS TOGETHER AND EVEN GOING INTO COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, THERE ARE THINGS OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP THESE INDIVIDUALS COME IN AND RISE IN THE COMMUNITY, PERHAPS WITH RESOURCES THAT ARE ALREADY THERE.

SO I WOULD ASK THAT WE PERHAPS, UM, HAVE A WORKING GROUP TO START THAT, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WORKING GROUP.

I WONDER HOW I COMBINE, I WAS JOKING THAT I HAVE, AND I THINK YOU WOULD LIKE MS. GRAY, HE WOULD LIKE THE RESOURCES THAT I'M PUTTING TOGETHER NOW, AS FAR AS EDI, UM, ARTICLES, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ORGANIZATIONS AND I TOOK OFF THE EVENTS, BUT WOULD YOU ADD THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE, UM, AND I THINK YOU WOULD ALSO HELP ME OUT.

SO I WOULD LOVE THAT AND I THINK JUST AN ORGANIZATIONALLY YES.

EMAIL.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER KATE.

THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT WAS GONNA SAY.

UM, LET'S HEAR IT FOR TWO SECONDS ACTUALLY.

UM, CITY STAFF, HOW MUCH LONGER CAN WE GO HERE? WE ARE AT 8 33.

I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS NINE 30.

WE'D SEND A BIT OVER AT CITY HALL.

UH, WE HAVE, UH, ROOM UNTIL NINE 30.

OUT, I I'M REALLY IN FAVOR GETTING ANY MONEY THAT WE CAN OUT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.

UM, I'M SORRY.

COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE.

I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS HERE.

UM, TRYING TO MAKE A QUICK, UM, WHAT WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT IS THE LENS OF INEQUITY.

UM, AND I, I, I THINK WE'RE ALL TRYING TO SORT OUR WAY THROUGH ALL THE STUFF, THIS HORRIBLE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON WITH COVID, BUT I SEE A NEW, NEW EQUITY.

I, I AM NOT, I HESITATE TO ADD ONE MORE INEQUITY ONTO THE, THE LIST OR THE LIST, BUT, UH, INEQUITY THAT I'M SAYING COMING

[02:55:01]

W THE EQUITY THAT I'M SAYING IS PEOPLE WITH, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE JOBS AND PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE JOBS.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY CREATING A NEW INEQUITY IN THIS WHOLE, UH, TIME OF COVID.

UM, AND JUST WHEN THINGS LOOK LIKE THEY WERE OPENING UP FOR SO MANY ARTISTS BEING ABLE TO PERFORM AGAIN AND ABLE TO HAVE SHOWS AGAIN, IT LOOKS LIKE THINGS ARE REALLY SHUTTING DOWN.

SO THIS, YOU KNOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN FEELING HOPE THAT THEY CAN, UH, HAVE AN INCOME AGAIN, THAT THEY'RE JUST GOING BACK TO NO.

UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THIS IS ENDING REALLY SOON.

SO TO ME, THAT'S A, UM, AN ADDITIONAL, NOT TRYING TO DO AWAY WITH ANY OF THE OTHER STUFF OR MINIMIZE, BUT I WOULD JUST ADD THAT ON AS HOW WE LOOK AT THIS.

THAT MAKES SENSE.

MR. FLORES, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD? UM, YEAH, I WAS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED BY THE WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION AS TO WHAT WORKING GROUP YOU'RE GOING TO DO.

UH, THE EMERGE, I KNOW THAT COUNCIL ASKED FOR, THEY WANT OUR RECOMMENDATION AS TO HOW TO UTILIZE THESE ARPA-E FUNDS.

AND, UH, SO CAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO ACT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, AND THEY WANTED TO HEAR FROM US.

SO YOU HAD SAID EARLIER THE EMERGENCY, OR SOMEBODY MENTIONED THE EMERGENCY WORKING GROUP ON FUNDING, AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH WORKING GROUP THAT WAS, THAT ONE THAT I WAS ON.

I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER.

I THINK I WAS, BUT, UM, I JUST THINK WE NEED TO, NOW THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO RESPOND TO COUNSEL'S QUESTION AND ASK FROM US.

SO JUST SAYING THAT'S ALL AND MY BACKPACKS, YOUR BACKS.

YAY.

WE'LL SEE HOW LONG THIS LASTS.

I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO JOIN THIS CONVERSATION, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO, UH, SINCE WE DO, SINCE WE WERE, UH, CONFIRMED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UM, YEAH, WE KNOW WE WANT TO GET THIS MONEY OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

UM, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE, THE ARTS AND CULTURE NON-PROFIT RELIEF GRANT, AND WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT, UH, WITH DIFFERENT FUNDS TONIGHT ALREADY.

UH, WE KNOW THAT THE CREATIVE WORKERS GRANT WAS OVERSUBSCRIBED.

SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A NEED ON THE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS LEVEL.

W WHAT, WHAT HAS THE CITY MISS? WHAT ARE WE MISSING THAT WE COULD THEN USE THESE, THESE FUNDS TO TRY TO ADDRESS? BUT WHAT GROUPS, I GUESS THAT'S A QUESTION FOR STAFF, BUT I THINK THEIR COUNSEL QUESTION WAS EVEN MORE BROAD.

WASN'T IT? MICHELLE SHOULDN'T, WHETHER IT WAS GOING TO BACKFILL THE HOT MONEY OR WHETHER WE WANTED TO PRIORITIZE THE EMERGENCY MONEY.

AND I THINK WE'VE ANSWERED THAT, WHICH IS THE EMERGENCY MONEY IS THE TOP PRIORITY, BECAUSE IT'S MORE, IT'S MORE NIMBLE AND WE CAN GET IT OUT THE DOOR FASTER.

UM, AND I ANSWERED THAT QUESTION.

I DIDN'T THINK WE HAD, I THINK WE NEED THE SEC.

I THOUGHT WE GOT, I MEAN, WE NEED TO, THEY ASK FOR RECOMMENDATION, UH, AND I DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DISCUSSED IT, BUT WE HAVEN'T MADE A DECISION THEN LET'S MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

SO THAT'S CLEAR COMMISSIONER, SMALL BUCK.

IS THAT, IS THAT MOTION? YEAH.

READY? I'LL MOVE TO KEEP ARPA MONEY AS RELIEF AND RECOVERY DOLLARS AND MAKE IT HAPPEN ASAP.

HOW'S THAT? NOT THE PROGRAM, JUST ASAP FLORES A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER OF SMALL BLOCK TO PRIORITIZE ARBA AS ARPA AND NOT FUNNEL IT BACK INTO ANYTHING ELSE AND TO GET IT OUT THE DOOR AS FAST AS WE CAN ALL IN FAVOR AND I TWICE.

ANY OPPOSED ANY ABSTENTIONS THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

CLARIFICATION, MR. KAYTON, CAN YOU PLEASE SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME FOR THESE NOTES, PLEASE? WHAT YOU JUST SAID, COULD YOU LIKE MOTION THAT WE JUST HAD? SO WE MADE A MOTION TO PRIORITIZE, KEEPING THE ARPA MONEY AS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND TO GET IT OUT AS FAST AS WE CAN, AND NOT TO USE IT TO BACKFILL CULTURAL CONTRACTS AT THIS JUNCTURE THAT'S SO TO PRIORITIZE ARPA AS EMERGENCY FUNDS AND GET IT OUT THE DOOR QUICKLY.

[03:00:01]

NOW, THE CONVERSATION IS WHERE ARE WE ON PRIORITIZE PRIORITIES WORDS NOW, PRIORITIES FOR THE ARPA FUNDING, RIGHT? COMMISSIONER SMALL BUCK.

UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXACT NUMBERS ARE, BUT IT FEELS LIKE THE, ONE OF THE MISSING POTENTIAL MISSING PIECES IS, AND I KNOW WE CAN'T MAKE UP FOR ALL OF IT, BUT THE EXISTING CULTURAL CONTRACTORS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $20,000 RELIEF GRANTS TO 196 ORGANIZATIONS, BUT THAT'S $20,000, WHICH IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, A DROP IN THE BUCKET.

UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ORG BUDGETS.

SO I GUESS LIKE, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT IS W YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHO ARE WE MISSING WITHIN THE EXISTING CULTURAL CONTRACTORS ARE SEEING THESE VAST CUTS IN THERE, PUBLIC SUPPORT STAFF? WHAT DO WE KNOW, ACTUALLY, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER GRAY.

I JUST ANSWERED.

SO IT MAY BE A LOT IN WHAT THE STAFF MAY KNOW, BUT I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THE, THE THEATERS, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SUPPORTING AND FACILITATING INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.

UM, WE HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY THROUGH A, UM, AN EQUITY LENS, BUT IT'S ABOUT SURVIVAL.

THERE ARE MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT IF THEY DO CLOSE THEIR DOORS, IT WILL HAVE FELT PERFECT.

A LOT OF ARTISTS HAD SOME SORT OF A VENUE GO AHEAD AND JOT SOME SORT OF, UH, IT CAN INCLUDE SOME VENUE RELIEVED, UH, OR HAVE WE EVEN LOOKED AT THAT? I DON'T KNOW.

I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS FEDERAL DOLLARS, BUT THERE ARE SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE VENUES FOR A LOT OF OTHER SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS AND HAVING BEEN CLOSED.

THEIR DOORS COULD BE VERY DETRIMENTAL.

I, EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T HAVE ACTIVITIES NOW, AND EVERYTHING'S, I GUESS, GOING BACK TO ZOOM BECAUSE OF STAGE FINE, BUT I GUESS, UH, BUT THEY, THEY'VE ALL BEEN VERY, THEY'VE BEEN HURT AND SOME OF THOSE ARE SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS.

I DON'T KNOW.

I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT TO LIKE YOU, TO THOSE FOLKS WHO ACTUALLY HAVE RUN AN ARTS ORGANIZATION AND KIND OF KNOW THAT, OR MAYBE STAFF HAS SOME, UM, FEEDBACK FOR US OR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY MIGHT SHARE BASED ON WHO WHO'S BEEN FUNDED.

AND WHO HASN'T.

ARE YOU ASKING SPECIFICALLY WHO IS CURRENTLY IN OUR CULTURAL FUNDING POOL? NO, NO, NO.

JUST LIKE FOLKS WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED FUNDING OR CATEGORIES OF ARTISTS, ARTS GROUPS, INDIVIDUALS, WHATEVER THAT, UH, HAVEN'T BEEN CAPTURED, LIKE, UH, I THINK COMMISSIONER SMALL BUCK WAS SAYING WHO HASN'T BEEN CAPTURED ALREADY THROUGH OUR RELIEF PROGRAMS AND HOW COULD WE CRAFT SOMETHING THAT MIGHT ADDRESS THOSE AND MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, INCREASE THE, THE AMOUNTS OF FUNDS AVAILABLE STILL WITH AN EQUITY LENS, BUT IT, NEVERTHELESS, JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT HASN'T ALREADY, WHO, WHAT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE IN ALREADY BEEN ELIGIBLE OR TAPPED OR WHATEVER, IF THAT EVEN MAKES SENSE.

I'M SORRY.

THAT CAN, THAT CAN BE A QUESTION THAT, THAT GOES IN THE HOPPER.

UM, WE CAN COME BACK TO THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER MOCK AND THE COMMISSIONER, SMALL BUCK, AND THEN I'VE GOT SOMETHING I, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ALLOCATE THIS MONEY FOR THE LOSS OF INCOME, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I REALLY THAT I AGREE WITH, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER VAN GUYS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING FOOD ON THE TABLE WHEN, WHEN ARTISTS ARE LOSING THE INCOME, I THINK THEY SHOULD, THAT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY, OF COURSE, ALSO THROUGH THE EQUITY LENS, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY PROVIDE THEM WITH SOME, SOME INCOME, YOU KNOW, TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE RENTS AND ALL THAT.

I THINK THAT SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY FOR THIS, UM, EMERGENCY FUND.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SMELL BUCK.

WHAT COMMISSIONER MARK JUST SAID, NOT ONLY WITH INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, BUT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT EMPLOY ARTISTS AND THE JUST UNDERSCORING, THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING, OF LOOKING AT PRESERVING JOBS OR BRINGING IN, AND WHETHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, W2 JOBS OR CONTRACTOR JOBS AND PRESERVING THE NONPROFIT ECOSYSTEM THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS PUT OUT THIS WORD ECOSYSTEM, BUT WHEN WE GET THROUGH THE BEST, WHICH WE EVENTUALLY WILL, WE NEED THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO STILL EXIST IN ORDER FOR WORK, TO KEEP HAPPENING AND STAGES TO BE OPEN AND ARTISTS THAT HAVE WORKED.

I'M SO SORRY.

CAUSE EVERYBODY WENT BLURRY WIELD FOR AWHILE.

SO I MISSED SOME OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS, BUT, UM, JUST BASED ON WHAT OCCURRED COMMISSIONER FLORES SAY, UM, MY, MY QUESTION WAS NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT LIKE MORE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN TOUCHED, BUT RATHER THE LOSSES IN, AND, AND TO THE POINT AROUND

[03:05:01]

SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE LIKE A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION RIGHT NOW, BUT I W I THINK THAT WE NEED TO KEEP THAT TOP OF THE LIST WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARPA-E AND LOOKING AT JOBS.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE GET THAT INFORMATION FROM.

I THINK IT'S IN THE BUDGET.

IT'S PROBABLY FROM FINAL REPORTS.

I DON'T KNOW.

BUT THAT DATA, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THESE DECISIONS, COMMISSIONER CHRYSTIA.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS THE CONVERSATION.

THIS IS THE CHALLENGE THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE THE BEGINNING OF COVID, RIGHT? AND I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT PEOPLE NEED MONEY TO BUY FOOD AND THEY NEED MONEY TO PAY THEIR RENT.

AND I THINK, ALTHOUGH I APPRECIATE THE FRAMING OF IT AS, AS JOBS, I THINK IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO SAY, WE NEED TO GET MONEY IN PEOPLE'S HANDS SO THEY CAN EAT, AND WE NEED TO GET MONEY IN PEOPLE'S HANDS SO THEY COULD PAY THEIR RENT.

SO THOSE VENUES ARE THERE WHEN WE GET OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC, I DON'T KNOW THAT FRAMING IT AS A JOB IS, IS, WILL BE AS HELPFUL.

SO I CAN GIVE YOU A COUPLE STATS.

WE KNOW THAT THE, THE NUMBER, THE APPLICANTS WHO APPLY FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, NONPROFIT WAS NOT OUR FULL CULTURAL FUNDING PORTFOLIO.

THERE WERE 89 GROUPS IN OUR CULTURAL FUNDING POOL, CURRENT CONTRACTORS WHO DID NOT APPLY FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE, NONPROFIT, WE DON'T KNOW WHY COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF THINGS, BUT THAT'S ONE, ONE GAP.

UM, THE OTHER THING IS, AS WE HEARD EARLIER, UM, THERE WERE MANY HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS WHO WERE, WHO APPLIED TO THE CREATIVE WORKER RELIEF GRANT, WHO WERE NOT FUNDED BECAUSE IT WAS MASSIVELY OVERSUBSCRIBED.

THE OTHER THING IS UNINCORPORATED GROUPS WHO ARE TYPICALLY SPONSORED BY A NONPROFIT HAVE NOT REALLY BEEN MORE ADDRESSED EITHER BECAUSE THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT AN INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, THEY'RE NOT A NONPROFIT, THEY'RE KIND OF THAT AND THAT LIMB LIMINAL SPACE.

SO, UM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER GROUP.

UM, SO I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S COMPONENTS OF ALL OF THOSE THAT, WHERE WE COULD DO SOME MORE REACHING.

SO LAST GROUP THAT YOU MENTIONED, I'M SORRY.

UM, LIKE SMALL SPONSORED PROJECTS, UNINCORPORATED DON'T HAVE A 5 0 1 C3 DESIGNATION, TYPICALLY THEIR UMBRELLA BY SOMEONE ELSE REAL QUICK ON THAT, THE RELIEF GRANT THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT WAS SO OVERSUBSCRIBED, WHAT EXACTLY WERE THE COMPONENTS IN THAT? AND COULD THAT ONE BE LIKE TURNED AROUND QUICKLY? IF IT WOULD ADDRESS A LOT OF FOLKS QUICKLY? I MEAN, THE CREATIVE WORKER RELIEF GRANT THAT'S FOR INDIVIDUAL CREATIVES, IT WAS A $2,000 AWARD.

AND LAURA, IF YOU'RE STILL ON OR REMIND ME, I THINK WE HAD 3000 APPLICANTS.

WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BE.

PULLING I'M PULLING IT UP RIGHT NOW, SO WE CAN, RIGHT.

IT'S BIGGER THE NUMBERS.

AND WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO FUND 11 HUNTERS.

WE WERE ABLE TO FUND A 1,866.

UM, WE HAD 5,502 PEOPLE APPLY AND 4,467 WERE ELIGIBLE.

AND SO WE HAD 2,601 ELIGIBLE CREATIVE WORKERS WHO DID NOT RECEIVE FUNDING.

AND THAT WOULD BE A PROGRAM WE COULD REPLICATE EASILY, FAIRLY EASILY.

THAT'S LIKE FOOD AND RENT MONEY, RIGHT.

IT'S LIKE KIND OF BURDEN.

HMM.

SO I'VE GOT A QUICK THING, WHICH IS WHATEVER WE DO.

IF WE CAN USE AN EXISTING PROGRAM AND ADJUST IT INSTEAD OF RECREATING THE WHEEL, THAT WILL BE BETTER.

AND I GUESS, AND I WILL JUST THROW THIS IN THE MIX, WHICH IS WE HAVE A WHOLE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? WE HAVE WHAT, 400 PLUS ORGANIZATIONS, INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS THAT LOOK TO US EVERY YEAR FOR SUPPORT, FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS AND OPERATIONS.

UM, WE KNOW THAT THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO GET GOING.

[03:10:01]

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS AS SORT OF AN EMERGENCY LIGHT STRIP TO HELP US GET FROM WHERE WE ARE INTO WHATEVER THAT NEW REALITY IS.

UM, SO I WONDER ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT LOOK AT THE WHOLE CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM AND A WAY THAT MIGHT TAKE THAT AND FRAME IT AND GET MONEY OUT TO THE BUCKET.

UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS STILL AS A SNOWBANK NOTED, WHO ACTUALLY NEEDS IT, WHICH IS EVERYBODY AND WHO NEED, NEED, NEED NEEDS IT, WHICH IS MOST OF EVERYBODY.

UM, AND HOW TO FIGURE THAT PIECE OUT FOR ME AS A CHALLENGE, BUT TO THINK, OH, THIS NONPROFITS GOT $20,000.

THEY'RE OKAY FOR NOW THAT DOESN'T KEEP A VENUE HERE UNTIL NEXT YEAR THAT DOESN'T KEEP THOSE POSITIONS HERE UNTIL NEXT YEAR.

THAT'S AN, I KNOW WE CAN'T SOLVE FOR EVERYTHING, BUT FOR ME, THE ECOSYSTEM IS LIKE, IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE TO PLAY, WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY WORK TO DO.

UM, AND NO PLACE TO REHEARSE AND NO PLACE TO MAKE ART.

THAT'S GOING TO BE A THING, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.

SO WHAT I'M HEARING AND WHAT I FEEL LIKE I'M COMFORTABLE WITH, LIKE, WHAT WE HAVE IS, WAS IT FIVE? LIKE WE'RE, WE WANT TO SPLIT THAT, RIGHT? IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE FOOD AND RENT FOR INDIVIDUALS, BUT ALSO HOW DO WE KEEP THE, THESE VENUES THAT WILL HAVE A HUGE RIPPLE EFFECT IF WE LOSE THEM AGAIN, YOU KNOW, FINDING, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THAT SPLIT MIGHT BE RENT ASSISTANCE OR SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER GRAY.

AND THEN I'VE GOT A QUESTION AND THEN I'M SURE POLGAR, CAN YOU SPEAK MORE INTO THE OTHER ARPA PROGRAMS THAT MAY BENEFIT SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS THAT, UM, THAT I WAS TALKING TO STAFF ABOUT THAT EARLIER? I THINK WHAT WE HAVE LEFT IN TERMS OF THE, UM, AND, AND SO NOVIA, YOU CAN TELL BETTER THAN I THERE'S SOME RENTAL ASSISTANCE OUT THERE STILL THERE'S SOME FOOD PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY LIKE ARPA BASED PROGRAMS, BUT THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE PROVIDING SOME OF THAT ASSISTANCE AND ACCESS.

SO THERE ARE SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS ALREADY EXIST.

UM, THERE ALSO ARE IN OUR ARSENAL STILL TO COME THEIR SUPPORT THROUGH THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, WHICH IS A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS A POSSIBILITY OF GENERATING SOME WORK AND SOME JOBS.

THOSE ARE SMALLER CHUNKS, RIGHT.

UM, THERE IS ALSO, UM, SEE SAP IS COMING.

SAP IS GOING TO BE WILDLY OVERSUBSCRIBED AND, AND REACH ACROSS MUSIC AND ARTS.

SO WE KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT TO KEEP PEOPLE GOING.

I GUESS MY OTHER QUESTION, UH, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO TO YOUR POINT IS WHAT ABOUT THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE NOT VENUE, NOT INDIVIDUALS, BUT ARE A SMALL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR 20 YEARS THAT HAS MAYBE ONE STAFF MEMBER OR TWO STAFF MEMBERS.

THOSE GUYS, I FEEL LIKE ARE GOING TO GET LOST IN THE MIX AND NOT BE HERE.

THIS IS BEGINNING TO FEEL TO ME, LIKE, DO WE WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT OUR CULTURAL FUNDING WAS LAST YEAR? AND DO WE WANT TO CREATE AN EMERGENCY BUCKET OF CULTURAL FUNDING MONEY THAT JUST SORT OF BRINGS THEM FORWARD? I DON'T KNOW, THROWING THAT OUT THERE, I CONFUSE THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO CONFUSE COUNCIL AND WE JUST VOTED TO KEEP OUR MONEY.

I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD ARGUE THAT YOU DO NOT USE THOSE TERMS. I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THE CATEGORIES AND THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN CULTURAL CONTRACTORS, BUT REMEMBER THERE ARE ARTISTS THAT ARE NOT ALSO, AND, AND GROUPS THAT ARE NOT.

AND SO WE'VE GOT TO STAY AS OPEN AS POSSIBLE.

I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, CREATE CATEGORIES AND, YOU KNOW, THE SOUNDS LIKE THE CREATIVE RELIEF PROGRAM, MAYBE IT'S FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS, I DON'T KNOW, BUT, AND, AND MAKE THE MONEY BIGGER SO THAT IT, IT, IT MAKES A BIGGER DEBT.

$2,000 SOUNDS PRETTY.

WE HAVE FIVE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.

WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, WHAT TO CATEGORIZE IT, HOW TO SPEND IT RIGHT.

AND SO, AND FAST.

SO I EXISTING SOUNDS GOOD IF THEY WERE WORKING AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL IN NEED THAT CAN, CAN, AND THAT CAN BE FILLED FAST.

I MEAN, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO DIVIDE THE PIE INTO HOW MANY POTS AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE POTS MOVING.

MR. ZISMAN.

I THINK THAT'S THE CRITICAL PIECE HERE IS THAT WE NEED TO DECIDE WHAT IS THE BREAKDOWN AND WHAT GOES, WHERE I THINK WE'RE ALL IN A GRANT THAT ALL OF THESE FACETS OF THE COMMUNITY TO BE ADDRESSED, BUT PERHAPS THE CONVERSATION IS TO WHAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE, HOW ARE WE GOING TO BREAK OUT THIS, THIS REMAINDER? UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE USE 50% FOR BASIC NEEDS, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOOD RENT, INCOME, LOSS, INCOME, AND THEN 50% FALL SUSTAINING, UH, THOSE SMALL ORGANIZATION,

[03:15:04]

UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, COMMISSIONER, SORRY.

UM, HOW MANY, SO THE, UH, I'M SORRY, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME REMEMBERING THE NAMES, BUT, UM, THE GROUP OF ARTISTS THAT WERE GETTING $2,000, I THINK IT WAS 2000 A PIECE THAT'S FOR INDIVIDUAL CREATIVES.

AND HOW MANY QUALIFIED THAT DIDN'T GET ANY MONEY? WAS IT 2,700 AND 601? SO THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE THAT, I MEAN, THEY DID THE WORK, THEY TURNED IT IN AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE HOPING TO GET THAT.

UM, IF I FIGURE RIGHT, IF THAT'S, IF I SAID 2000 PEOPLE GOT $2,000, THAT'S IF I DID MY MATH, RIGHT.

THAT'S $4 MILLION.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT ONE MONTH'S RENT, UM, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.

UM, AND IF THEY QUALIFY, THEN I WOULD GUESS THAT MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE STILL QUALIFY NOW, SINCE WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT, AND THEY'VE ALREADY DONE IT, COULD WE USE, I DON'T KNOW, FORMULA THAT TO, FOR THAT, MY HESITATION TO KIND OF APPLY THE SAME MENTALITY THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE NON-PROFIT RELIEF GRANT, RIGHT.

WHERE WE KNOW WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA MONEY THAT WE CAN SATISFY THE ASK, PARTICULARLY WITH THE CREATIVE WORKER GRANT.

THERE'S BEEN SUCH A LARGE GAP OF TIME THAT I THINK WE REALLY DO NEED TO RE LIKE ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME IN, BECAUSE PERHAPS PEOPLE THAT WERE UNSTABLE THEN ARE STABLE NOW, AND PERHAPS PEOPLE THAT WERE STABLE THAT ARE UNSTABLE NOW.

SO I'D HATE TO GO FORWARD MAKING ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT AS A COMMUNITY.

I THINK WE WOULD NEED TO RELAUNCH, BUT I AGREE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED HERE.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO CHIME IN AND SAY THAT I THINK THIS PORTION RIGHT HERE, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE CREATIVE WORKERS GRANT, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT FELINA, THAT THAT PROCESS SHOULD BE EASY, UM, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MAYBE A SUBMISSION FORM.

YOU WOULD HAVE TO PROVE WHAT YOU NEED, BUT YOUR NAME, YOUR ADDRESS, UM, JUST SOME TYPE OF PROOF THAT YOU'RE NOT WORKING AND JUST LET'S JUST GIVE THE MONEY TO THEM.

AND THE CREATIVE WORKER, THE FIRST ITERATION WAS SUPER SIMPLE, AND WE HAVE THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY TO CONFIRM THAT I HAVE MUSICIANS.

ARTISTS SAID IT WAS THE MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANT THAT THEY HAD EXPERIENCED.

UM, IT IS VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

AND I THINK A LOT OF THE EMERGENCY FUNDING THAT WE PUT FORWARD HAS BEEN VERY ACCESSIBLE.

AND, UM, I'M SAYING THIS SELENA IN AGREEANCE WITH YOU IS THAT I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE BECOME MORE FRUSTRATED, CONTINUING TO GO BACK AND FORTH, FILLING OUT FORMS, ASKING AND ASKING AND ASKING, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

THEY'RE CONTINUING TO ASK AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET HER.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.

MR. GRAY, TO DO A QUESTION.

NO, I JUST, UH, JUST HAVE A THOUGHT.

I JUST THINK AGAIN, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS LEGACY AND OTHERWISE THAT ARE SUPPORTING THE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS IN THE CITY AND HAVE FORCE IN SOME CASES, DECADES.

AND IF WE DON'T THINK ABOUT THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THERE ARE MANY ARTISTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UM, AFFECTED.

AND AGAIN, JUST GOING BACK TO THOSE RESOURCES, UM, AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES AND INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, THERE ARE SOME OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE RESOURCES NOW THAT CAN HELP THOSE ORGANIZATIONS OR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

BUT IF WE DON'T THINK REALLY, REALLY ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE FOUNDATION OF THIS ARTS ECOSYSTEM IN AUSTIN WITH AN EQUITY LENS, WE ARE LOOKING, I DON'T KNOW A CRISIS.

I HONESTLY THINK WE'RE THINKING ABOUT IT.

WE'RE LOOKING AT A CRISIS.

I THINK SO, TOO.

UM, QUESTION AND, AND STAFF, YOU CAN SAY YES OR NO, BUT I THINK MY QUESTION IS, CAN WE TAKE THE DESIGN OF THE AUSTIN ARTS AND CULTURAL NON-PROFIT RELIEF GRANT AND TWEAK IT TO BE A ARTS AND CULTURE GRANT THAT COULD BE APPLIED TO, BY ANY NUMBER OF CREATIVES AT A LEVEL THAT WE FIGURE OUT BASED ON WHAT WE THINK IS A REASONABLE PERCENTAGE OF THE POT AND HOW WE WANT TO SPLIT IT, BUT THAT WOULD PROVIDE AGAIN, A LUMP SUM OF FUNDING FOR, AT SOME DECENT LEVEL, RIGHT.

SURVIVABILITY LEVEL.

AND MAYBE WE FIGURED OUT WHAT A SCALE IS FOR THAT, UM, BASED ON LOST REVENUE OR WHATEVER.

UM, BUT

[03:20:01]

JUST TAKE THAT AS THE FRAMEWORK ASK THE TWO MORE QUESTIONS OR THREE MORE QUESTIONS, INCLUDING EQUITY, LIKE BUMP THAT LENS A LITTLE BIT, MAKE THAT THE PIECE.

BUT ALSO I WANT TO CAUTION THAT ADMINISTRATIVE FEE WILL ALSO HAVE TO COME OUT OF THIS MONTH.

I UNDERSTAND.

IS THAT 10% SO NIVEA, ROUGHLY? UM, PROBABLY HOLD ON.

THEY'RE PINGING ME FROM A 4.5%.

THAT'S GREAT.

HEY, AND COMMISSIONER GRAY AND THEN ANYBODY ELSE.

OKAY, COOL.

UM, I THINK THE, UM, SPOG OR THE SHELTERED VENUES GRANT, UM, UH, APPLICATION PROCESS REALLY SET A LOT OF GOOD FOUNDATION ON LOSS OF EARNED INCOME, ET CETERA.

AND WE COULD LOOK AT A MODEL LIKE THAT THROUGH A VERY STRONG EQUITY LENS AND HELPING TO MOVE FORWARD IN A PROGRAM AS WELL.

FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT FOR ME WITH THAT, THAT IS NOT JUST A BRICK AND MORTAR, UH, THEATER, IT'S OPERATIONAL, UH, AND PRODUCERS AS WELL.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MOCK AND THEN COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.

AND WE'RE ALSO STILL LOOKING FOR MONEY.

UM, I, I HEAR WHAT COMMISSIONER GRAY WAS SAYING.

I THINK WE SHOULD ALLOCATE, YOU KNOW, 20 TO $30,000 FOR SMALL ORGANIZATION AS COM ORGANIZATION.

UH, WE CAN, WE CAN AFFORD TO SUPPORT A HUNDRED OF THEM.

IT'S ABOUT 3 MILLION AND THEN THE REST OF THEM, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, SEE IF WE CAN MEET THE, THE, THE CRISIS NEED, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOOD INC INCOME AND RENT AND ALL THAT.

SO I THINK AT THESE, WE CAN S WE CAN GIVE SOME RELIEF, YOU KNOW, TO A HUNDRED, YOU KNOW, SMALL ARTS ORGANIZATION, BECAUSE THIS IS THIS $6 MILLION IS ONLY FOR THE US ORGANIZATION.

I THINK THE MUSIC HAS 4 MILLION, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE MUSIC WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON JUST THE CREATIVE ART, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATION.

SO WE CAN JUST FUND A HUNDRED OF THOSE ORGANIZATION.

YOU NEED, YOU KNOW, WITH 20 OR $30,000, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 3 MILLION.

SO THEN THE REST OF THEM CAN THEN GO INTO THE EMERGENCY FUND.

THAT'S MY SUGGESTION.

MY SPIDEY SENSES LIKE IS TORN HERE, BUT LIKE CHARTERED ORGANIZATIONS IS, UH, THAT LEAD LEADS A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL IN THE, IN THE, IN THE WEEDS AND THE WASTELAND.

UM, SO I WOULD JUST, YEAH, I'M SORRY.

UH, CHAIR, COULD YOU, UH, STATE THE AMOUNT AGAIN THAT WE WERE SUGGESTING TO GIVE TO THE CREATIVE WORKERS, THE CREATIVE WORKER RELIEF GRANT THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW IS A $20,000 CHUNK.

OH, NO.

WAS $2,000.

MY PO, OKAY.

WE, THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE COULD RAISE THAT.

AND I KNOW I'M STRETCHING THIS AND I'M TALKING ABOUT AT LEAST TWO MONTHS OF RENT, AND I'M SAYING 5,000.

AND I KNOW, I MEAN, I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'LL WORK, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, IF A PERSON CAN ONLY PAY THEIR RENT FOR ONE MONTH, WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE, IF THEY GET THIS IN SEPTEMBER, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO IN OCTOBER? WELL, YEAH, I HEAR YOU, MR. ZISMAN.

YOU WANT TO THROW OUT THE NUMBER HERE.

IF WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE ADMINISTRATION FEE, AND I DID A CONSERVATIVE CALCULATION OF THE FULL 5%, WE'RE LOOKING AT FORM 4.3 MILLION.

THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT.

IF WE'RE KEEPING IN MIND A 5% ADMIN FEE, JUST, JUST SO WE'RE PLAYING WITH THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF MONEY HERE, RIGHT? AND, AND ONE NOTE IS I, IS THAT AN ARBITRARY, LIKE X AMOUNT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR EVERY ORGANIZATION.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE THAT THAT WHATEVER THE APPLICATION IS, HAS TO SCALE BASED ON SIZE OF THE ORGANIZATION, RIGHT? SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS PRIORITY.

PRIORITIZING VENUES, PRIORITIZING LOSS OF INCOME.

IN TERMS OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL SIDE, I'M HEARING A STRONG NEED FOR SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL CREATIVES.

I'M HEARING THAT TOO.

I, I LIKE RIGHT NOW, MY FOCUS IS ECOSYSTEM AND I ALSO AM REALLY WORRIED ABOUT EVERYBODY, BUT THAT'S WHERE I AM.

UM, THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

BUT IF WE ARE GONNA SPLIT THE BALANCE THIS WAY, THEN ELEVATE BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT TO ME.

RIGHT? IT'S THE SAME.

I'LL AGREE WITH THAT.

I'LL AGREE WITH THAT COMMISSIONER REMINDER, WE ARE NOT GOING TO HELP EVERYBODY.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAVE EVERYBODY.

THESE ARE VERY LIMITED FUNDS AND IS A VERY DIFFICULT CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING HERE, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HELP EVERYBODY.

NICE REMINDER.

[03:25:01]

I GUESS WE COULD, WE CAN SPEND THE WHOLE NIGHT PARSING THIS OUT, RIGHT? WE CAN PLAY THIS GAME ALL NIGHT LONG.

UM, UH, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO STARTED THIS PART OF THE CONVERSATION BY SUGGESTING THAT WE KICK SOME OF THIS BACK TO THE EMERGENCY, UM, FUNDING WORKING GROUP.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE THINK WE WANT TO DO OR DO LIKE, OR, OR IS THERE ANOTHER EMOTION THAT YOU GUYS WANT TO PUT ON THE TABLE? I JUST HAVE A QUESTION IN TERMS OF HER, THE MATH THAT'S ELENA JUST SAID, YOU'RE SAYING THAT A $5.5 MILLION.

YOU'RE SAYING 1.5 IS GOING TO ADMINISTRATIVE FEE.

NO.

OH, I'M SORRY.

I JUST GOT THE CORRECTION HERE.

5.3, 5.3, NOT 4.3.

SO WE HAVE 5.3 TO SPAN.

IT'S LIKE 200,000 FOR A YEAR.

IT'S ALMOST THREE.

I, WELL, DON'T TRUST MY MATH.

I'M AN ARTIST.

20,000 IS WHAT I GOT.

IF I DID I 5.5 MILLION TIMES 0.04 EQUALS $220,000.

IS THAT CORRECT? LET'S ROUND IT UP TO 250,000.

DON'T SCARE ME THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A MILLION FINE MR. PROGRAM.

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, BUT IT WASN'T THE NUMBERS OUT THERE.

IT'S JUST TWO 79,000 WOULD BE THE, AT THE 5% ADMINISTRATION FEE AFTER WE TAKE OUT THE 420,000 TO COVER THE REMAINDER FOR THE NONPROFIT.

HUMBLE, APOLOGIES GUYS.

FIVE LET'S COME AND BRING THEM DOWN 4%.

WELL, TH THAT'S OUT OF OUR CONTROL REALLY, RIGHT? YEAH.

I THINK MADAM CHAIR, I LIKE TO PUT, TO GET THE, THE, THE, THE WORLD BACK TO THE EMERGENCY CO UH, FUNDING COMMITTEE.

AND, UH, YOU HAVE HEARD ALL OF OUR FEEDBACKS.

SO I TRUST THAT THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WILL DO A GOOD JOB AND MAKE A GOOD PROPOSAL.

SO COMMISSIONER WANTS TO MOVE TO MOVE TO GET THIS BACK TO THE EMERGENCY COMMITTEE, TO GIVE US A PROPOSAL AT THE NEXT MEETING SO THAT WE CAN GO TALK.

SO, AND THAT'S SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.

DO YOU WANT, YOU HAVE A, DO YOU HAVE A CAR? IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION.

YEAH, BECAUSE I THOUGHT COUNCIL WAS GOING TO TAKE THIS BACK UP AT THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER, WHICH IS BEFORE WE MEET AGAIN.

WELL, THEY VOTED ON THAT.

WE ALREADY VOTED TO SAY THAT WE WANT IT TO STAY.

ARPA-E THAT'S ALL THEY WANTED TO KNOW FROM US.

NOT HOW TO DO IT.

FAIR TO, YEAH.

TO BE FAIR THERE, THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO COME BACK AND KNOW, KNOW WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE TO KEEP THIS IN AN EMERGENCY FUNDING SO THAT WE COULD GET IT OUT THE DOOR QUICKLY.

I GUESS MY QUESTION AS I'M LISTENING IS, YEAH, IT DOESN'T NEED TO GO TO THE WORKING GROUP OR DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE MOST OF THE FRAMEWORK ALREADY IN PLACE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT DOES NEED TO GET TO THE WORKING GROUP.

SO IS THAT STILL A SECOND FOR YOU COMMISSIONER CASTILLO? SO COMMISSIONER MOCK HAS MADE A PROPOSAL TO PICK IT BACK TO THE EMERGENCY FUNDING.

WORKING GROUP COMMISSIONER CASTILLO IS SECONDED AND CON ANY DISCUSSION MADE UP OR IS SMALL BAG WHEN DYKE CISMEN CHAIR AND BURNED IS MEXICO.

IS THAT WHAT IT WAS? BARNES IS IN THERE? I WAS THE WRONG ONE.

I KNOW.

YOU'RE RIGHT, LOU YOU'RE RIGHT.

AND I WAS IN THERE AND REMOVE MYSELF.

SO THAT COMMISSIONER, SMALL BUCK COULDN'T COME IN.

GOT IT.

AND NOW I'M SAD, BUT THAT'S FINE.

I HAVE PLENTY OF WORK FOR YOU OR YOU ARE EX-OFFICIAL ON EVERY COMMITTEE.

I THINK I MAKE SIX THOUGH.

SO YOU'RE A QUORUM.

NEVERMIND.

I'M A QUORUM VOTE ON IT, PLEASE.

I SHALL WE VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, ANY EXTENSIONS AND A NO IT'S SQUARED UNANIMOUS.

SO IT'S KICKING BACK INTO THE WORKING GROUP.

IF WE MOVED BARNS.

I THINK WE DID IT ON THE PHONE ANYMORE.

YEAH, HE JUST GAVE UP.

GOT THAT DONE NEXT.

HEY, WE STILL HAVE A FEW MINUTES TO DO A COUPLE OTHER THINGS.

WE HAVE AN EAGER HAND.

WHERE'S MY, IN YOUR HAND, AH, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO, UH, BEFORE WE GO TOO MUCH FURTHER, I JUST FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO, TO SUPPORT COMMISSIONER MARK'S COMMENTS EARLIER REGARDING LEADERSHIP AND EQUITY AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL DIRECTION THAT WE RECEIVED 70 YEARS AGO.

LIKE, I'M ALL ABOUT THAT.

SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MOCK.

MY COMPUTER WENT INSANE.

I WAS LIKE, NO.

ABOUT THE CULTURAL PLANNING REVIEW PROCESS, UM, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMUNITY.

AND REITERATING OUR COMMITMENT TO THAT I THINK IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.

UM, SO WE ARE

[5.b. Cultural Arts Discussion and Possible Action Items]

ON FIVE BEING.

WE HAD A CONVERSATION

[03:30:01]

UM, SO I JUST, I WANTED TO RAISE THIS BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BECAME VERY CLEAR VERY QUICKLY AS THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAVE UNFOLDED IS OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH AND CONNECTION TO OUR COMMUNITY IS FRACTURED AND NOT AS CLEAR AS WE, NONE OF US AS ANY OF US WOULD LIKE IT TO BE.

AND SO, AND WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT, WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP ABOUT QUARTERLY MEETUPS, UM, COMMISSIONER'S ASSESSMENT, AND I ORCHESTRATED A SERIES OF COMMUNITY CHATS AND THIS LAST WEEK, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THOSE AND BE REALLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT TRYING TO BRING IN SOME OTHER VOICES.

WE'VE HEARD A LOT FROM MY, UH, SMALL GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE WE WANT TO EXPAND AND TALK TO THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

UM, BUT WE WANT TO KEEP THOSE CONVERSATIONS GOING.

AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT, UH, MAYBE WE START DOING THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS AND MAYBE WE ROTATE THROUGH COMMISSIONERS.

UM, ANOTHER PIECE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS TO START BRINGING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY IN, ON WORKING GROUPS AND ON SPECIAL PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY AS WE ARE STARTING TO LOOK TOWARD THE FUTURE AND REBUILDING, WE WANT TO BUILD THIS BACK BETTER THAN IT WAS, UM, AND MORE SUSTAINABLE.

WE DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO FRACTURED COMMUNITY.

WE DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO FIGHTING OVER TABLE SCRAPS.

WE WANT TO BUILD BACK AS A COLLABORATIVE COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY, UH, COMMISSIONER MOCK.

I THINK YEAH.

IN THE LEADERSHIP ROLE.

SO I THINK OUR MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY HAS TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE AND CONSISTENT, AND THAT'S HOW WE CAN BRING THE COMMUNITY ALONG.

YOU KNOW? SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE TWO GOOGLE PEOPLE, BAD GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO SAID THAT I JUST LIKE TO HAVE A EUROCENTRIC TYPE OF PROGRAMMING.

I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHO ARE THOSE MISSED OPPORTUNITY.

THOSE ARE THE GROUP THAT WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO.

WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

BUT THERE ARE A LOT MORE THAT WHO DO NOT WANT TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN THIS, THIS TREATMENT OF OTHERS AND THEY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

RIGHT? SO WHAT, WHAT WE CAN HELP THEM IS TO TAP INTO THOSE WEALTH.

THAT WAS A YEARS ACCUMULATED BECAUSE OF THE MISTREATMENT OF OTHERS, THAT THEY HAVE ACCUMULATED ALL THIS WEALTH IN ALL THESE YEARS.

SO LET'S TAP INTO THOSE WEALTH THAT THEY GOT THE PRIVILEGE TO ACCUMULATE IN THE PAST TO ASK THEM TO GET BACK SOME OF THOSE WEALTH AND SUPPORT OUR HUMANITY, YOU KNOW, OUR, UH, OUR CULTURAL PERFORMANCE, OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY.

SO ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN RIGHT AND WRONG AND BRIDGE THAT GAP.

AND THEN ALSO GROW THE POT OF MONEY BY TAPPING INTO THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BENEFIT FROM THE FUNDER, THE RAISES PROGRAM BEFORE, AND ASK THEM TO GIVE IT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.

I THINK IT'S A WIN-WIN.

SO I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AMENDS.

SO I THINK THE MESSAGE FROM US IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE SHOULD BE THE SAME.

SO YOU'VE BEEN CONSISTENTLY GIVING THE SAME MESSAGE TO THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY AND HOW THEM TO TAP INTO THOSE.

WELL, THEN I THINK IT'S OUR JOB TO BRING PEOPLE ALONG.

SO, I MEAN, JUST WANT TO HEAR YOUR, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMISSIONER CHRISTIANE COMMISSIONER GREY.

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO AND COMMISSIONER GRAY.

WELL, I'M GOING TO MAKE ONE NOTE, WHICH IS IT'S NINE, 13, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO GET DONE, AND THIS IS A BIG CONVERSATION.

SO LET'S KEEP THIS SMALL TO ME.

THIS IS PART OF OUR CONVERSATION.

AS WE GET INTO THE CULTURAL FUNDING REDUX ABOUT HOW WE ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND HOW WE CELEBRATE THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW WE SUPPORT AND ELEVATE AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS WHO NEED TO SORT OF LEARN MORE.

AND RE-ENGAGE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

THAT'S THAT CONVERSATION FOR ME, BUT I'LL SAY THAT AND THEN LET IT GO.

AND I'M GOING TO PULL YOU OFF OF THIS IN ABOUT FOUR MINUTES.

[03:35:01]

I WANT TO SAY, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER MOCK.

I THINK THAT SUPPORTS, UM, THE WORK THAT I SOLVE FOR THE ANNUAL REPORT AND THE GOALS FOR 20 OR FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT JUST FITS PERFECTLY THERE.

AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THAT CONVERSATION NEEDS TO HAPPEN, BUT YEAH, UH, I AGREE AS WELL WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER MOCK AND, UM, HOWEVER, I, I ALSO DON'T WANT THE PLANS FOR A FUNDING FOR FUNDING GUIDELINES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH MANY OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN DIVERSE TO HAVE SUPPORTED DIVERSITY ARE, ARE THERE AND THE FOUNDATION OF MUCH OF THE, UH, CITY THAT DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THE EXISTING.

HELLO, THAT'S AGAIN, WE'RE STILL IN THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.

WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK.

WE'RE STILL HAVING CONVERSATIONS ALL THE WAY THROUGH AT LEAST THE 31ST OF AUGUST.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

LET'S KEEP THAT CONVERSATION GOING.

UM, I'M OKAY TO LEAVE IT.

YOKO'S COMMISSIONER'S ISN'T DO WE WANT TO MENTION THAT OUR NEXT COMMUNITY CHAT IS ON FRIDAY AND INVITE, UM, THREE AND NO MORE THAN THREE COMMISSIONERS TO JOIN US IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS? WHAT TYPE OF SELENA? SIX TO SEVEN ON FRIDAY ON FRIDAY? I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT YET.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

I WOULD LOVE THAT HAPPENED.

YOU ARE NOT, YOU ARE NOT LIKELY TO BE, UNLESS SOMEBODY IN, UNLESS I TAKE SOMEBODY ELSE'S PLACE.

UH, COMMISSIONER KEEGAN, KIMBERLY.

AWESOME.

I WILL ABSOLUTELY SEND YOU GUYS AN EMAIL.

UM, THERE ARE MORE OF THOSE TO COME IN.

THAT CONVERSATION IS GOING TO KEEP, KEEP, CONTINUE, KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING.

MY WORDS ARE DONE.

UM, BUT YES, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.

I'LL I'LL CHECK MY CALENDAR.

OKAY, GREAT.

UM, MR. CASTILLO, YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU HAD A THOUGHT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE GOOD, YOU GET OKAY.

UM, NEXT UP, UH, ITEM B FOUR, WHICH IS A RETURN TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS.

SO OUR ESTEEM, STATE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED THE PANDEMIC IS OVER.

THANK YOU FOR FIXING THAT.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

UM, AND WOULD LIKE US TO RETURN TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS AND STARTING IN SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER ONE.

AND SO, BUT WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO HYBRID MEETINGS.

AND SO RATHER THAN JUST SAY, YES, WE'LL BE IN PERSON.

I WANTED TO PUT OUT TO THE GROUP BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHO MIGHT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH BEING IN THE SAME ROOM.

UM, AND YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION RIGHT NOW.

UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN ANSWER VIA EMAIL TO ANN MARIE, UM, TO SEE IF WE NEED TO SET UP HYBRID MEETINGS, LEADERSHIP WOULD NEED TO BE IN THE ROOM.

UM, WE COULD HAVE, AND THE QUORUM WOULD HAVE TO BE IN THE ROOM AS MY UNDERSTANDING.

AND THEN WE COULD HAVE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT ONSITE COUNCIL IS DOING THIS RIGHT NOW.

SO IF YOU WATCH THE MEETING ON THURSDAY, OR IF YOU SAW SOME OF THAT, UM, THERE ARE PROS AND CONS.

YES, YOU'RE IN YOUR OWN SPACE, BUT IT'S REALLY HARD TO BE IN A CONVERSATION SOMETIMES IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE ROOM TOGETHER, UM, I MISS YOU GUYS.

I MISS BEING IN THE SAME PLACE WITH YOU, BUT ALSO AUSTIN TRAFFIC.

YUP.

UM, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE.

SO I DON'T NEED EMOTION AROUND THAT, BUT I WOULD JUST WOULD SAY, LET, LET AND MARINO, AND MARIE, YOU CAN TAKE UP A POLL AND SEE WHERE WE ARE AND IF WE NEED TO APPLY FOR A HYBRID OPTION, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UH, I BELIEVE CHAMBERS RESERVED FOR THE FIRST, FOR THE, FOR THE SEPTEMBER MEETING.

AND I THINK MOVING FORWARD FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR.

SO JUST SO YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALREADY BOOKED AND READY TO ROLL COMMISSIONER OF SMALL BACK, JUST WITH THINGS CHANGING SO RAPIDLY.

AND LIKE THOSE OF US WITH KIDS HAVING CLOSURES AND ALL THIS SHIT, ALL SORRY, ALL THE TIME.

CAN WE JUST ASK FOR THE HYBRID OPTIONS SO THAT WE HAVE IT AVAILABLE AND THOSE OF US CAN SHOW UP CAN, BUT WHAT THE HECK KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING.

I THINK THAT'S PRUDENT AND SMART.

AND LET'S DO THAT.

EMORY.

WE ARE ASKING FOR THE HYBRID OPTION.

DO WE KNOW? WELL WHEN THE MEETING IS, UH, THE NEXT ONE IS SEPTEMBER 20TH.

CITIZENS, COMMUNICATION ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND IN PERSON.

AND MADAM CHAIR, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS GOING TO BE ALLOWED IN THAT MEETING.

I THINK SO.

I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROTOCOLS ARE BECAUSE AS A COMMISSIONER, SMALL BUCK JUST SAID, THINGS ARE CHANGING EVERY MOMENT, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO, I WAS GOING TO RECOMMEND, MAYBE WE SHOULD IDENTIFY A, I GUESS, A PARLIAMENTARIAN SO THAT THEIR TRAFFIC CONTROL BETWEEN IN-PERSON AND ONLINE THAT WAY CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR CAN, CAN DO THEIR THING.

AND THIS OTHER PERSON IS KEEPING TRACK.

BUT JUST AN IDEA.

GREAT IDEA.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, FOR COMMISSIONER KEATON YES.

UM, THE PUBLIC AND AT LEAST THE SPEAKERS WHO WANT TO SPEAK DURING

[03:40:01]

THEY CANNOT COME, UH, VIRTUALLY THAT SEEMS PROBLEMATIC.

EMORY IS THAT EVEN IF WE HAVE A VIRTUAL, I MEAN A HYBRID OPTION.

THAT'S WHAT THE HEADLINE.

THAT'S THAT IS THE HYBRID MODEL.

SO, UM, HALF OUR SIX COMMISSIONERS HAVE TO BE ON THE DAYAS THE REMAINING CAN CALL IN REMOTELY.

UM, AND THEN SPEAKERS HAVE TO, I DON'T THINK THERE HAS TO BE SOME STAFF THERE.

UM, BUT NOT NECESSARILY EVERY STAFF.

UM, BUT SPEAKERS FOR CITIZENS.

COMMUNICATION HAVE TO BE THERE IN PERSON.

I'M PULLING MY AGE ONE.

WE REALLY KICKED OUT OF HERE AT NINE 30.

UM, AND I'M LOOKING AT WHAT'S LEFT ON THE AGENDA.

OBVIOUSLY.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET TO ALL OF IT.

UM, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO, I'M THINKING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT PIECE.

WE PROBABLY WANT TO GET A NOTE ON A BOAT ARM, WHICH I THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO VOTE ON OUR GOALS.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WE'VE GOT 20 MINUTES.

WE'VE GOT 10 MINUTES.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH THE GOALS IN THAT TIMEFRAME.

THAT'S MY CONCERN.

SO I, BUT I DO THINK WE WANT TO GET THE LAND.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY LET'S GET THE LAND DEVELOPMENT PIECE UP AND IN CONVERSATION AND LET'S START ON THE GOALS.

THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION, BUT I NEED A MOTION TO MOVE THE LAND DEVELOPMENT, WORKING GROUP REPORT FORWARD.

NUMBER OF THE SIX B FOR RICK.

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT MOTION? MOTION TO MOVE ITEM SIX BEFORE, UM, ABOVE OLD, UM, SIX FEET, SIX A, UM, I HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER, SMALL BACKHOES DANCING FINGERS, ALL IN FAVOR.

ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY.

SO WE'RE MOVING SIX BEFORE ABOVE SIX, A MR. CASTILLO, CAN YOU FIND IT? UM, I'M GONNA JUST GOLF A MEMORY.

I BELIEVE THAT WAS SENT, UH, AN EMAIL FROM CHAIR PULL GUARD SHARED BY, AND, UH, YOU'RE BACK BY ANN MARIE.

UH, THE JOINT WORKING GROUP BETWEEN MUSIC AND ARTS HAS BEEN MEETING REGARDING DEVELOPMENT.

UH, WE HEARD THAT MAYOR WAS MOVING, TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, IN TERMS OF LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT FOR US TO, TO, TO BRING FORTH THESE ELEMENTS THAT WERE DEVELOPED DURING THE CODE NEXT CONVERSATION.

AND THEN WHEN CODE NEXT, GOT TO REPEAT, WE KIND OF LOST THIS WORK.

UM, SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS STILL IN PLAY AS THE CITY CONSIDERS THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

UH, AND SO WE, UH, IN THAT EMAIL THAT, THAT WAS FORWARDED TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON.

ALL YOU'LL SEE THAT THE FIRST REQUEST THAT WE'RE ASKING THE COMMISSION TO, TO UH, APPROVE IS THAT WE INCLUDE DEFINITIONS OF LIVE MUSIC VENUE AND PERFORMANCE VENUE INSIDE FUTURE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE DRAFTS.

THE SECOND REQUEST IS TO INCLUDE A RESERVED SECTION TITLED, UH, DIVERSIFY SUSTAIN AND CULTIVATE ART MUSIC, AND CULTURE.

AND THIS WILL BE A PLACE HOLDER, UM, SO THAT IT CAN, THAT THOSE DETAILS CAN BE THOSE GUIDELINES CAN BE WRITTEN OUT AT A FUTURE DATE.

AND THEN THE THIRD REQUEST WOULD BE THE LETTER ITSELF ASKING MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER TO MAKE SURE TO KEEP THESE TWO THINGS TOP OF MIND, UM, BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT THAT HAS BEEN DONE OKAY.

AND SIGNED BY THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS.

AND THIS IS THE, UM, THIS IS THE ITEM THAT LED TO THE ARTICLE THAT CHATSWOOD TECHIE PUT IN THE AUSTIN MONITOR.

THANK YOU, CHAD, FOR YOUR COVERAGE.

UM, THIS IS WORK AGAIN THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR A VERY LONG TIME THAT WAS READY TO GO.

AND THE, THE, THE LANDFILL METHOD THAT WILL NOT BE NAMED.

SO, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER FLORES TO MS. THAT FORWARD TO APPROVE, TO HAVE THE SECOND AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER ZISMAN ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED ANY ABSTENTIONS? IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THE WORK OF THE GOALS OF WE'RE GOING ON SIX, UH, A ONE, THE WORK OF THE GOALS WORKING GROUP WAS PRETTY ENCOURAGING AND INSPIRING.

IT IS 9 23.

UM, SO I REALLY,

[6.a. Discussion and Action Items]

UM, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY.

THIS IS IN YOUR BACKUP.

UM, WE TOOK THE WORK THAT WE'D DONE IN THE ROOM ON THE FOUR PILLARS AND EXPANDED THE, THE THOUGHT BEHIND AND THE COMMITMENT BEHIND THE FOUR

[03:45:01]

PILLARS REVISION INTO A SERIES OF GOALS FOR THE YEAR, UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE WERE EXTRAORDINARY TIMES AND WE'RE DEALING WITH A PANDEMIC.

AND SO RELIEF AND RECOVERY AND REBUILDING IS A PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE.

AND MORE THAN THAT ARE REITERATED OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.

SO THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE WITH YOU TALKS ABOUT THE VARYING WAYS THAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT THOSE ITEMS MOVING, BUT WE HAD A TOP FOUR OF THE GOALS LILLY WHEN I HIT THE, WELL, SINCE YOU LAID IT OUT FOR ME ALREADY, I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT, UH, AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.

BUT, UH, I DUNNO WHAT TO SAY TO THIS, OPEN IT UP REQUESTING I DON'T WANT TO READ THE FOR WHEN, LIKE, TALK ABOUT THIS, THE SPECIFICS.

YEAH, I REALLY DID EVERYBODY HAVE A CHANCE TO READ THEM? I DIDN'T MEAN TO STEAL YOUR THUNDER.

LOU, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET US OUT THE DOOR.

I APOLOGIZE.

THAT'S OKAY.

UM, DID EVERYBODY HAVE A CHANCE TO READ THEM? NO.

NO.

NO.

WELL THEN I DON'T KNOW THAT WE, THEN, THEN I THINK WE LEAVE THIS AND IT GOES BACK TO GOALS.

UH, WHAT WE DID AS MICHELLE SAID IS THAT WE DECIDED THAT WE HAD PRETTY MUCH RECYCLED, YOU KNOW, THE GOALS FROM YEAR TO YEAR TO YEAR, AND THEN HAD A LOT OF GREAT STUFF IN IT.

BUT WE DECIDED THAT BECAUSE THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR GIVEN THE LAST 18 MONTHS THAT WE REALLY NEEDED TO TIGHTEN UP WHAT WE WERE, WHAT WE INTENDED TO DO THIS YEAR.

AND WHAT WE INTEND TO DO THIS YEAR IS TO, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY THAT WE ESTABLISHED, UH, AND THAT WE ALSO, SO WE WANT, WE, WE TOOK THAT IN THE FIRST GOAL OBVIOUSLY IS THE LONGEST, BECAUSE THAT HAS, UH, IT JUST HAS EVERY, UH, ASPECT OF WHAT IT IS WE DO AS A COMMISSION, BUT YET FOCUSED IT, UH, WITH OUR LENS, UH, WHERE THE EQUITY LENS.

UH, WE DIDN'T QUITE PUT EVERYTHING IN THERE, BUT IF YOU CAN GO THROUGH AND READ THOSE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE FOUR SUBCATEGORY, OH 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 SUB CATEGORIES UNDER GOAL ONE, UM, FOR FIVE I'M SORRY, ARE FUNDING AND PROGRAMMING, COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND ENGAGEMENTS DOWN SORT OF AUDITIONS AND COMMISSIONED SELF EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT, AND ALL DONE THROUGH THE LENS OF EQUITY.

AND SO WE HAVE, UH, STRATEGIES UNDER OUR OBJECTIVES UNDER EACH OF THOSE, UM, FIVE SUB CATEGORIES OF GOAL ONE, WHICH IS TO CONTINUE TO REVISE, RECALIBRATE ALL AREAS AND ASPECTS OF OUR WORK THROUGH AN EQUITY LENS AND MAKE IT A PRIORITY AS FOLLOWS IN THOSE FIVE AREAS.

THE NEXT GOAL WOULD BE JUST TO CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE ASSISTANCE FOR THE ARTS COMMUNITY.

UH, AND WE HAVE, UH, SEVEN ITEMS UNDER THAT THAT WOULD HELP US CONTINUE WITH OUR EFFORTS TO FIND RELIEF, UH, PROGRAMS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

CAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO BE WORKING ON THAT.

AND WE, OUR GOAL THREE WAS TO BUILD SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY AND HAD, UH, NINE, UH, OBJECTIVES THERE, WHICH, UH, DESCRIBE WHAT WE WOULD INTEND TO, UH, HELP THE COMMUNITY, THE ARTS COMMUNITY, UH, YOU KNOW, HELP THEMSELVES BECOME SUSTAINABLE AND HAVE US CREATE A SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEM AND ALL SORTS OF STRATEGIES FOR HOW WE WOULD INTEND TO, TO TRY TO DO THAT.

AND FINALLY, A GOAL FOR IS TO INCREASE THE OVERALL COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL AND STAFF, JUST IN GENERAL NOW WITH AN EYE TOWARDS EQUITY, BUT IN GENERAL.

AND WE'VE GOT SIX STEPS FOR THAT.

UH, SO IF IT WOULD, IF I THOUGHT WE HAD TO VOTE ON THEM TODAY, BUT IF WE NEED TO POSTPONE SO THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THEM, THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT.

AND SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A MORE, YOU KNOW, THOROUGH DISCUSSION, YOU OFTEN SEND THE WORKING GROUP, YOUR COMMENTS, I MADE IT A FEW.

AND SO, UM, SO IF YOU WANT TO DO IT THAT WAY, WE CAN DO THAT WAY.

I BRING IT BACK UP FOR A VOTE.

NEXT TIME YOU GOT TWO MINUTES.

BUT CITY DEFINITION IS RACIAL EQUITY.

THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SAY.

I ADDED COMMENTS INTO THE VERSION THAT'S IN THE, IN THE ONE DRIVE BACKUP FOLDER.

AND I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WE, IF WE'RE LEADING WITH LENS OF RACIAL EQUITY, BECAUSE ADDING THAT RACIAL TERM MAKES PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO DO THE WORK WHERE WE'RE UNCOMFORTABLE.

WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD RACIAL AND ETHNIC EQUITY.

WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT,

[03:50:01]

WE'LL BRING THIS BACK, WE'LL BRING THIS BACK.

AND THEN, UM, MEGAN, YOU HAD, UH, AN ANNOUNCEMENT.

JUST EXCUSE ME.

ONE TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THERE'S A SCHEDULED, GUIDED DISCUSSION THAT STAFF IS HOSTING THIS THURSDAY ON THRIVE.

IT'S FROM SIX TO 7:00 PM.

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE INFORMATION ON EVENT, BRIGHT.COM.

YOU CAN JUST SEARCH FOR A CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION CITY OF AUSTIN.

I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT THE HERITAGE TOURISM DIVISION IS ALSO HOSTING A WALKTHROUGH OF THEIR PROPOSED GUIDELINES ON WEDNESDAY FROM SIX TO SEVEN, ALSO ON EVENT BRIGHT, YOU CAN CHECK THEM OUT.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE HISTORIC, UM, ASSETS AND ORGANIZATIONS, TO LOOK AT THE, THAT SOURCE AS WELL BEYOND JUST THE, THE, UM, CULTURAL ARTS FUND.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNEW ABOUT THAT.

AND THAT'S A GREAT NOTE THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN APPLY FOR ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS UNDER ANY ONE OF THESE UMBRELLAS.

YOU ARE NOT LIMITED.

LET ME SAY THIS AGAIN, NOT LIMITED TO CULTURAL ARTS, THERE'S MUSIC, THERE'S MONEY THROUGH THE MUSIC PROGRAM.

THERE'S MONEY THROUGH, UM, CULTURAL HERITAGE AND SPEAKING CLEARLY.

SO THIS IS NOT THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN.

SO REMEMBER THAT, AND YOU CAN ENGAGE IN ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND RESPOND TO ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO RECORD, OH, YOU HAVE CLARIFICATION, BUT I'M NOT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH TALKING ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY.

I JUST BELIEVE THAT CERTAIN GROUPS ARE LEFT OUT AND WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUSIVE IN OUR DISCUSSION OF EQUITY AND THAT CERTAIN GROUPS ARE NOT LET OUT, LET OFF BY VERY, UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN DEFINITIONS.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR ON OUR DEFINITION.